With Every Good Wish
by NijiBrush
Summary: Cilan had said that not all relationships were black and white, well I was just glad that ours was. We were friends and that wasn't ever going to be different. Or at least, that was before the chain of events that would change my life started to happen... (Iris' POV) (WishfulShipping)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

Chapter 1 (Iris' POV)

I liked trees. A lot.

I smiled as I ran my hand along the rough bark. Sometimes I even liked them more than people. Not that company wasn't great, but sometimes I loved it just being me and the forest.

Grabbing the branch I pulled myself up effortlessly and braced my hand against the trunk. You could practically see all the way to the other side of Unova from here. It was great. It almost made me feel like I was watching the whole world. But for all the places I'd heard of, and even seen, nothing could top my home. Because this forest, it was, it all was. Reaching for a vine I gave it a small tug, just to, you know, make sure it was tough enough.

I grinned a little wider as I held on with both hands before I pushed off the branch with my feet. I felt the wind rushing past my face, it was cool and the sun was bright above me. It was amazing. It always was. No matter how much time passed, I knew some things were always going to be the same. Feeling so alive in my forest was definitely one of them. No matter what…

Letting go of the vine I landed carefully on the ground before reaching to wipe my forehead on my sleeve.

"Frax!"

Spinning on my heels I turned around to see Fraxure wobbling toward me. His arms were so full of apples that he could hardly walk straight. Sighing playfully I put my hands on my sides. "Your eyes got a little bigger than your stomach there, didn't they Fraxure?"

"Ure…" He mumbled looking a little embarrassed before he dropped the apples in a pile.

I laughed as I walked over to grab one from the stack. "Well that's fine, it just means we definitely won't be hungry tonight."

"Fraxure!"

I reached to pat him on the head. "Yeah that's right, you did an awesome job. So take a good rest, and eat up, it'll be getting dark before too much longer anyway."

That whole afternoon was just like all the rest. The apples were sweet, the air was warm, and I was with my best friend in the whole world. When the sun started getting low we both were almost too full to move. I leaned back against the tree we were sitting under and pulled Fraxure a little closer. "Well it looks like we both might have had eyes bigger than our stomachs…"

"Ure…" He moaned from beside me.

I laughed. "Yeah that's what I thought."

How long had it been since Axew evolved? Maybe just six months ago? To be honest it had already been so long that I didn't think he was ever going to evolve in the first place. But if I was honest, I wouldn't have minded that at all. I loved him just the way he was. I was kinda worried that him evolving might change him too much even… But that was before, now I knew that he would always be the same no matter what. I thought he was still a little awkward in his new form though, so it was up to me to help him build his confidence.

You know, sometimes I wondered what it would have been like if people had two or three forms they could just evolve into. But as it was, people changed a little bit everyday instead. You started out so little and inexperienced and then day after day you learned and got bigger until one day… Well, one day the you you had always been was completely different. So even though it happened so gradually that you could almost forget about it, I still thought I understood how Fraxure must have felt.

I looked up as I saw the first star peeking out from behind a drifting cloud. Just like Fraxure I looked a little different now. But being taller or stronger wasn't what really counted. That was the same for either pokemon or people. What was inside is what counted. But that was a little harder to figure out. To see how I was different on the inside. As far as I was concerned I was just me, same as always. But that made me wonder, was I supposed to be? Wasn't I supposed to be different on the inside too? Maybe...but I wasn't sure, and the more I thought about it, the more I didn't understand it at all.

So maybe I really wasn't at my final form yet either, because I was guessing I still had a lot to learn. Fraxure and me, we both did. I smiled a little. But that was okay, because we'd take our time and figure it out as we went. After all, the fun was in the journey, right? Or at least I thought I'd heard Elder say that once. I figured she was right. I guess I'd learned it the hard way traveling with Ash and Cilan. You're always thinking about where you're going until you get there and have to say goodbye. Then you just wish you could enjoy the journey all over again…

I tightened my arms around Fraxure as he gently drifted to sleep. I hadn't seen either of them in over a year. We kept in touch with calls and even letters sometimes, but it wasn't really the same as us all being together. They were my best friends too, all the family that I had. Ash was always on the move chasing after his next gym battle, and Cilan was busy with his restaurant. I guessed I was busy too, with training and stuff. But…

I frowned, but really wasn't sure why.

Reaching into my backpack I quietly dug around until I found a small wrinkled photo. It was taken about eleven years ago when we were all on our first journey together. Gently letting go of Fraxure and leaning him against the tree I stood and walked off silently.

I pushed through the bushes until the nearby lake came into view. Kneeling down I stared at my reflection on the water. I sure did looked different, didn't I? Poking the water I watched the ripples disturb the reflection of me. Of the me I was now. When I looked back at the picture it was almost hard to believe. I guess time does have a way of changing at least some things…

We'd all been training a lot, we'd gotten stronger for sure. So maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if we took a little break. I mean, just to see everybody. I smiled a little as I watched the ripples disappear and the new me appear again. I could call Ash, find out where he was, and Striaton City was only about a day away, wasn't it? Maybe even half a day if we hurried. I pictured Ash stuffing himself to the brim during our reunion dinner, and Cilan's smile as he took that as the greatest compliment to his cooking.

And that's when I finally seemed to get it a little better. Changing didn't mean forgetting. It couldn't, because I'd never forget. I couldn't forget…

So at first light I headed out. The trail was still kinda dusty, and the morning was warmer than usual, but I didn't care at all. No way, not when I was going to visit my family. When Fraxure and I made it to the last hill before Striaton City it wasn't even dark yet. We'd made it in less than a day just like I knew we could. I thought it might have been better to rest up at a Pokemon Center and contact everyone tomorrow, but I just couldn't. I felt a smile spreading over my face. I could see Cilan tonight!

"Come on Fraxure, let's go!" I said turning to him with a determined nod.

"Frax!" He shouted back seeming just as excited as I was.

I ran the whole way, so when I made it to his gym turned restaurant I was almost out of breath. Smiling over at Fraxure I nodded to him before we both walked in. Chili and Cress were waiting tables, and from the looks of it they were almost packed tonight. I thought about it, it was friday, wasn't it?

Chili finally noticed me and walked over. "Do you have a reservation?" He asked formally.

I just looked at him funny for a second before I crossed my arms and frowned playfully at him. "Oh come on Chili, it's me."

He narrowed his eyes and looked a little confused before his eyes went suddenly wide. "Iris, is that you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Duh, of course it is, I don't look that different..."

He laughed. "Actually you do, you're pretty beautiful believe it or not."

I felt myself blush a little, but there was no way I was letting Chili on to that. So frowning playfully at him I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, and I was ugly before you mean?"

He laughed again. "Wow, now that you mention it, I totally walked into that one."

"Yeah no kidding…" I mumbled annoyed.

Chili smirked before he glanced over his shoulder at an empty table. "We might be able to squeeze you in without a reservation just this once…"

I sighed. "Oh give me a break…" Chili always gave me a pretty good idea of what it must be like to have a mischievous little brother. In fact, it was almost amazing how different he was from Cilan or Cress.

I followed him to the table and he pulled out my chair and bowed formally. "Your seat, madam."

I smirked as I sat down and let him push my chair in. "You're a goofball masquerading as a fancy waiter, you know that, right?"

He smiled and held a finger to his lips. "Shh don't tell Cilan, and definitely don't tell Cress…"

I rolled my eyes again as I looked at Fraxure sitting in the chair across from me. He seemed pretty amazed by how fancy everything was. It wasn't like it was the first time I saw Cilan's restaurant, but I kinda was too. "You're probably hungry, right Fraxure?"

"Ure, ure." He said patting his stomach.

I laughed. "Well I know I sure am, and it's been ages since we've had CIlan's cooking too." Then looking around the menu at Fraxure I smiled a little softer. "Just wait until Cilan sees you've evolved, he'll be so shocked."

"Frax?" He said seeming a little unsure.

I nodded. "Yeah you bet he'll be proud of you."

"Well I certainly am." I heard a familiar voice say from behind me.

Looking up over my shoulder I saw Cilan standing there with a white napkin folded over his arm and a polished serving dome balanced on his fingertips.

"Cilan…?" I said in a low tone that almost came out as a squeak. It wasn't like I shouldn't have been expecting him, but still… It had been so long.

He smiled down at me with a slight laugh. "I would have to say yes." Then he held up his index finger. "Give me a moment please, I'll be right back."

I nodded, and meant to say "okay," but no sound came out. Instead I just watched him as he walked across the room and delivered the serving dome to another table. He lifted the lid and released a plumb of steam before reaching behind him for a wine bottle sitting on a serving cart. He was gesturing and from the look on his face I guessed he was explaining how the flavor or acidity or something complemented the food.

I leaned into my hand as I just stared at him with a little smile. Cilan looked different too sure, but something told me in every other way he was just the same. I was glad, maybe I didn't like the thought of him changing too much.

"Ahem." I suddenly heard someone say next to me. Turning I saw Cress standing next to me with a bottle of wine of his own. "Care for a sample?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Uh no, that's okay, thanks."

Chili appeared next to the table with a glass of Oran Berry juice that he slid in front of me. "No bro, I figured she'd want something a little less _mature_. Right?"

I frowned a little at him. "It doesn't have anything to do with being mature, I just don't like the taste is all."

Chili laughed to himself. "Right, whatever you say." Then he glanced at Cilan walking back toward my table and got a smug look. I narrowed my eyes at him trying to figure out what that look was for. But whatever he was thinking it was making my stomach churn.

"What a little kid…" I mumbled to myself annoyed.

"Are you and Fraxure hungry, can I get you anything?" Cilan asked with a soft smile. "You must have come a long way."

I grinned up at him. "Um yeah, sure we could eat something. You know what's good, Cilan, so just give us your special or something."

His face lit up the same way it always did when the subject of food came up. "Alright, I'll do just that!"

After that he disappeared into the kitchen and didn't come back until he was carrying two dishes toward our table. It was a dragon type formula for Fraxure and the house special for me. But like every time Cilan had ever cooked for us, we both felt completely satisfied by the time the bowls and plates were empty.

"That was amazing…" I said softly as I leaned back in my chair.

"Ure, ure..." Fraxure mumbled in full agreement.

I smiled over at him. "See, it was worth walking without taking breaks to get here."

I was so busy eating I didn't even notice that by now it was pretty late and only a handful of customers were still inside finishing their meals. I felt a yawn coming on but I tried to stifle it when I saw Cilan finally pull out a chair and sit down next to me.

"How was everything?" He asked looking expectantly between me and Fraxure.

"Fraxure!" He said excitedly.

I nodded. "Yep I'll second that, it was great." I shrugged. "But it always is Cilan, you should know that."

He smiled. "Well I'm glad I didn't disappoint either of you." Then he rubbed the back of his neck a little awkwardly. "I apologize for being so formal before, but we were pretty busy tonight."

I dismissed what he'd said with a wave. "You were just being Cilan, like usual."

"Oh I see." He said quietly as he looked down at the tablecloth and then back up at me. "It's good to see you, you know. I was…" He adjusted his bowtie before going on. "I was worried you might have been upset with how abrupt I was during our last phone call?"

I frowned a little. "What? No I didn't think anything about it. You…" I stopped talking all of a sudden and wasn't really sure why. I hadn't really thought anything about that, had I? "You're really busy, I get that Cilan. Really I do."

He smiled, but it still looked funny to me. "Thank you for understanding." Then he smiled a little more like the old Cilan I knew. "So what brings you to Striaton City, Iris?"

I grinned as if it should have been obvious. Which it should have. "To see you of course, silly!" It was obvious wasn't it?

His eyes widened a little before he closed them in a grin. "Well I'm honored. I take it you and Fraxure have been training hard?"

I nodded. "Yeah you bet, after all Axew evolved!"

"I see that." He said smiling at Fraxure. "And I can tell that both your hearts are more in sync than ever before."

"Really?" I asked with my eyes widened. Then I sighed in relief. "To be honest, Cilan, I was a little worried if I was doing a good enough job. I mean now that Fraxure evolved and everything."

He looked like he was about to say something when Chili walked past and interrupted him. "I'm heading to bed, you and Cress can close up right, okay?"

"Of course, goodnight." He said with a nod.

"Yeah, see you two later." He said with another smug look as he turned to leave.

I frowned a little before I heard Cilan go on. "Anyway, as I was going to say, I wouldn't worry so much. The most important thing is just that your hearts are connected, everything else will work itself out in time."

I looked at Fraxure. "Right...it just takes time I guess."

Looking down at the tablecloth I got a funny feeling. All this talk about time, change, and being different, and as strange as it seemed, something was… Off. Like taking a bite of a green apple. Nothing felt quite right between us. Yeah it had been a while since we'd seen each other last but… But why did everything feel so weird right now. I closed my eyes and for a second I was trying to figure out that strange feeling that was hanging all around us. But the best I could get was that, well Cilan wasn't comfortable, and it was starting to make me feel awkward too.

Looking up at him we both just sat there quiet for a second or two. Then I frowned. "Hey Cilan, are you sick or something?"

"Hmm?" He asked suddenly.

I shrugged. "I just mean you seem a little distracted? Are you okay?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh I'm sorry, I suppose I'm not being the best company."

"No…" I said wary. "It's okay, I just thought…"

But before I could finish whatever I was going to say he looked over at me and his eyes softened in a way that almost looked sad. "I'm happy to see you again, Iris."

That was all he said. He said he was happy while his eyes looked sad, and suddenly I felt like the little kid for not getting why. Because I didn't. I really didn't.

Then he smiled a little wider. "Might I ask how long you're staying in Striaton City?"

At first it was like I needed extra time just to get what he was asking and answer back. Now who seemed distracted…?

I shrugged. "I don't really know, I'm not in a rush though. But I thought it would be good to take a little break from training and see everybody again."

Then just barely noticeable enough to see, his smile fell a little. "I think Ash was only a few towns over, actually." Then he tried to fix it and smile even wider than the first. "So this could have the familiar flavor of a reunion!"

"RIght…" I mumbled with a suspicious look as I leaned into my hand and kept staring over at him. I wasn't really sure what was wrong with either of us. He was acting so strange all of a sudden, and for some reason I felt too afraid to really ask him why. But afraid of Cilan of all people? He was one of my best friends, and we had never been this awkward around each other. Never in a million years. But it felt like a weight laying on my chest each time I tried to open my mouth and really ask what was up with him. What made it worse was even Fraxure seemed to be picking up on the tension. He was looking between us with a confused look on his face.

I didn't like any of it. This was supposed to be just like before…

"So…" I said almost to myself. "I guess you better help Cress close up, right?"

He frowned a little before nodding. "That would probably be best…"

"Right…" I mumbled as I was about to stand. But before I could, Cilan stood and gently pulled out my chair for me. I stood a little hesitantly and smiled up at him; he was still taller than me.

"Thanks, for the food too, it was great. Right, Fraxure?"

"Ure, ure!" He shouted seeming to forget about the awkwardness before.

"It was my pleasure." He said with a slight bow and a warm smile. Then untying the waiter's apron from around his waist he folded it over his arm. "If you'd like to stop by tomorrow morning, I have some time off before we open for the lunch crowd."

"Oh." Was all I said, and for the second time, my normally somewhat deep voice almost squeaked. But there was no way I was going to keep putting up with this weirdness so I pushed a smile on my face. "Right, yeah sure, that'll be great!"

He smiled a little softer. It was a smile I hadn't seen too many times before, yet something about it felt more familiar than all the rest I'd seen tonight.

"I'll be looking forward to it then, goodnight, Iris."

I didn't know what to say, which made no sense seeing as the natural reply was pretty simple. But all I felt was that weight pressing down on my chest again. But swallowing hard I shoved it away. "R-Right, goodnight Cilan."

Stumbling my way out of the restaurant I couldn't help but feel completely confused and a little dumb on top of it all. It wasn't like Chili was out of character teasing me or acting smug, but Cilan being weird was a whole new thing. He was never strange, well I mean for Cilan. He was always the composed (mostly composed…) gentleman that he'd been from the first day I'd met him. And he still was, it was just...like something was… Oh I don't know, awkward or whatever?

I frowned. Maybe he thought I was bothering him by just showing up all of a sudden…? Was I a little kid for thinking everything could be how it was before?

"Frax…?" Fraxure asked softly as he nudged my arm.

I turned to look at him, and for a second I didn't know what to say at all. What was eating at me? Was it the thought that maybe Cilan was too busy to bother with me? I knew he'd be too nice to ever say that even if it was true.

"I'm okay...really." I finally said as I patted Fraxure on the head. "It's just…" I smiled weakly at my best friend, knowing he knew me too well to not be completely honest with him. "It's just I...care too much for Cilan to want to think he doesn't have time for me…"

"Fraxure!" He answered back with a firm shake of his head.

"Oh so you think I'm just reading too much into it, huh?"

"Ure!" He confirmed with a nod.

I laughed a little to myself, and honestly it felt good to let go of some of that tension. "Maybe you're right, and I'm just the crazy one."

"Frax!" He repeated even more forcibly.

I shrugged. "Okay, okay, I get it Fraxure. Besides, he was probably just worn out from all those customers. By the morning, he'll be our old Cilan for sure."

Saying it to Fraxure almost convinced me that it really was that simple. Maybe it was. One thing I knew for sure...I was really wishing it was.

 **Thanks for reading, and please feel free to tell me what you think thus far! Reviews are better than cookies... Just saying.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 (Iris' POV)

That morning came the same as it always did, and I guess everything did feel clearer now. Being worn out could mess with your head, and that was all to it. So when Fraxure and I headed out of the pokemon center I felt completely at ease again. After all, it was a sunny day and I was going to spend it with one of my best friends. And in a few days, Ash would probably be here too. It was going to be just like old times for sure.

I have to admit, the more I thought about it, the better I felt. Spinning on my heels I stretched my arms out and took a deep breath. "It's beautiful, isn't it Fraxure!?"

"Ure, ure!" He happily agreed.

I stepped a little closer to him before stopping to give him a quick hug. "Yep, and that means it's going to be a great day!"

"Frax!"

I laughed a little as I reached for his hand and darted toward the restaurant. The sign on the door said it was closed just like Cilan said, but I still pushed it open slowly. Hesitantly I poked my head around the corner. "Um hello, Cilan are you in here?"

"He's in the kitchen, I believe." Cress said calmly with a pleasant smile. He was folding special napkins that almost seemed as thick as towels. "Okay, thanks." I said with a nod as I stepped in and scanned the large room. Fraxure and I headed toward the kitchen and the closer we got the more noise we heard. From sizzling to the rattle of pots and pans. Stepping in we saw Cilan quickly turning between the stove to a cutting board and back again. I frowned a little.

Wasn't this supposed to be his off time…?

I just stood there not really sure what to do, I didn't want to bother him when he was cooking. I mean I knew how seriously he took it. So I was about to back out of the kitchen without saying anything when he suddenly glanced over at me.

"Oh Iris, good morning!" He said with that same, almost giddy smile he got every time it was "babble like a Connoisseur time."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Uh morning, I was just going to wait, you look pretty busy."

He shook his head and darted through a pepper with his knife. "Oh no, not at all, in fact I was hoping you'd like to assist me!?" The scary part was, he was looking at me while his hands cut through vegetables at lightning speed. I knew he was good, but at the same time I was wondering if he'd end up losing a finger one day…

"You want my help…?" I asked finding it a little hard to believe. I really wasn't the best cook, and to be honest I didn't really mind eating fruit raw most of the time.

"Why certainly, Iris! No proper friendly chat can be enjoyed on an empty stomach!"

"Right…" I mumbled. Yep, today he definitely seemed like the same old Cilan. I smiled a little to myself. Which wasn't so bad, even if the old Cilan could be a pain in the neck sometimes...

Putting my hands on my sides in determination I nodded. "Okay sure, what can I do?"

He stopped chopping just long enough to gesture me toward an empty bowl and a carton of eggs. "An award winning omelet is a performance between the fluffiness of eggs and the crispness of the added ingredients. It's a matter of harmony between two very different textures, but the results can be an amazing symphony of complementary flavors!"

I felt a tiny sweat drop apper on my forehead as I stared down into the bowl. "And I take it the shells don't add to that symphony...?"

He winced in a playful way. "That wouldn't be the best flavor, no... But!" He added in excitedly. "Even a cooking mistake such as that can be easily fixed." He stopped chopping and looked over my shoulder at the shells mixing in with the eggs.

"Sorry…" I mumbled feeling more than a little embarrassed.

"Now, now," he said waving his finger with a little smile. "No need to panic. The solution is quite simple." Grabbing a spoon he narrowed his eyes and carefully fished out the pieces until my mistake was mostly covered.

"There!" He said beaming me a smile. "No harm done! The recipe can continue."

I sighed, kinda relieved I hadn't messed the whole thing up. After the next few eggs I at least started to get the hang of it.

"Okay, that's all of them, I think anyway..." I said frowning a little.

He nodded and reaching for a small bottle he poured a little cream in before he started whisking them at lightning speed. Then sitting down the bowl he added some butter to a pan and dumped in the mixture of vegetables he'd chopped.

Smiling over at me his eyes got those familiar little creases I'd always noticed. "Now it's sauteing time!"

I rolled my eyes playfully. I'd never seen anybody get so excited about food, but I couldn't help but smile back at him. He looked so happy. And before I even realized it, I felt the same way.

"Now," he went on. "While the vegetables are still crisp, we add the base of the omelet. Then lower heat… Gently fold…" He was mumbling to himself, and the way he was carefully cooking, you would have thought his life depended on it. I laughed a little to myself. Maybe to somebody like Cilan, it did.

"And perfect!" He suddenly shouted as he flipped the completed omelette onto a plate. Sitting it on the counter he just stared at it with such satisfaction, I knew it must have been a work of art to him.

Sighing I leaned in playfully with a smirk. "So, are we going to frame it or eat it?"

He pulled back and ran his hand through his neat hair while a little bit of red appeared on his cheeks. "Sorry, I suppose I got a bit carried away. It's just this recipe is sparkling with the unique flavor of our combined efforts."

I just smiled at him, not having the heart to remind him all I did was crack the eggs badly. Cutting it carefully in half he served it up on two plates and whisked it out into the dining room. Sitting them down on a table in the corner, he pulled out my chair and gestured for me to sit down. Then patting another chair for Fraxure, he smiled. "And I have another special Dragon blend for you Fraxure."

"Frax!" He replied excitedly as he watched Cilan disappear back into the kitchen. Cress was still setting tables, and Chili looked half asleep. When Cilan reappeared with the food for Fraxure and sat down across from me, Chili crept over with a yawn. Then perking up at the scent of the food he leaned over toward the plates. "What do you have there, bro?"

Cilan smiled a little scoldingly. "Now, now, Chili, this was made especially for Iris, after all, she is our guest."

"Right…" Chili said looking playfully annoyed. Then he went smug again and smirked with a bow. "Queen Iris is in our midst."

I leaned into my hand. "Better believe it."

Cilan laughed. "Though I'd be happy to recreate the recipe for you afterward if you'd like?"

Chili shrugged as he waved his hands in front of him. "No worries Cilan, I'll just whip up something myself. So you two just keep doing...what you're doing…" Then he crept toward the kitchen, but I could feel him staring so I glanced over my shoulder. When he saw me looking he smiled, then darted back into the kitchen laughing like the little kid he obviously was.

I frowned as I turned back toward Cilan. "Is Chili being more annoying than usual, or is that just me?"

Cilan scratched the side of his face a little awkwardly. "Well, he has always been very spirited..."

"Right…" I mumbled, not really convinced that explained it.

"So," he went on, and it almost seemed like he was trying to change the subject. "Should we give it a taste?"

I smiled. "Right, of course." Turning my fork sideways I cut off a tiny piece before giving it a try. I chewed slowly, before swallowing and beaming over at him. "Ha, that's awesome!" Then I shrugged. "And I can hardly taste the shells."

"Don't let that small setback discourage you, cooking is just like battling. It takes time and patience to perfect any skill." He smiled a little softer. "But if you're sure to put your heart into it, the resulting flavors will be it's own delicious reward!"

"Speaking of rewards," I said in between bites. "Didn't your restaurant earn some kind of honor or something?"

He looked a little bashful suddenly. "Well, yes, the Striaton Gazette did write a small article."

I smirked at him. "Small article? Try front page, that's where I heard about it."

He adjusted his bowtie nervously, and it looked like he was feeling more modest than usual. I nodded. "Well you deserve it Cilan, your food is amazing." Then after taking a drink of the oran berry juice I sat the glass down with a determined clink. "And that's that's."

He laughed. "Well, I suppose that is high praise coming from Unova's own champion."

Now it was my turn to be the shy one. I managed to win the league last year, and honestly I still couldn't believe it. It isn't that I hadn't worked really hard training and everything, but I just wasn't used to strangers giving me so much attention. All the people that recognized me, and that's not even mentioning those pesky paparazzi… That's why it felt so good just to be with my pokemon in the forest like we always were before.

I rubbed at the back of my neck. "Well...that might have just been a fluke…"

Cilan frowned at me suddenly. "You shouldn't say that Iris, you and your pokemon worked very hard to achieve that goal. It took dedication as well as skill, hardly what I'd call a fluke."

I felt myself blush a little. "Well thanks Cilan, that means a lot… I guess I'm just worried if I can keep this winning streak up is all."

His face softened. "I wouldn't worry, you have the strong bond with your pokemon to rely on. And whether you win or lose from this point your past accomplishment will be the same." Then he smiled. "Besides you came to visit so you could relax, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah you're right, I guess it's just been eating me up."

He nodded that he understood before taking a bite and slowly savoring the flavor. Then he looked back over at me. For a second he didn't say anything. It was one of those things where if it had lasted just a moment longer or so, then it would have definitely been awkward. But before it could be he spoke up. "I took the liberty of calling Ash this morning, by the way."

"Oh you did?" I asked feeling excited.

He nodded. "Yes, you'll be happy to know he agreed to meet us for a bit of a reunion. He should be here within the next few days I think."

I grinned. "That's great!" Then I leaned back in my chair and thought for a second. But looking back up at Cilan I fell my grin fade a little. "We've talked on the phone a lot too, but you saw him last, right? Is he any different?"

Cilan stopped mid bite and lowered his fork back to his plate. I wasn't sure why his face suddenly looked serious. If just a little bit. But he quickly smiled again. "What exactly do you mean by different."

I stared down at my plate. What did I really mean anyway? I poked at my forehead thinking before I looked back up at him. "Um well, I'm not really sure… It's just been something I've been thinking about. I mean especially since Axew evolved I mean. I've been wondering about how people change over time too."

"Do _I_ seem any different to you?" He asked suddenly.

I froze. Yeah he did, or at least last night he had, and maybe a minute ago. But earlier, when we were cooking, he just seemed like the same old Cilan I'd met eleven years ago. I didn't really get it, and it was probably nothing anyway, but I still wanted to be honest with him. We were freinds, we had to be honest with each other no matter what. That's just how friendships worked.

"Well," I started to say slowly as I tried to figure out how to put it. "Maybe a little, I mean last night especially…" I watched as a strange look came to his face as I was saying that, so I hurried to add in the rest. "But I think you were just tired, because this morning you seem like the old Cilan!"

"Oh I see…" He said slowly as his eyebrows turned up in a look that seemed a little sad again.

I frowned. Why did he mind if I thought he was different or not anyway? "Different isn't always a bad thing though, Cilan." I added in quietly.

He gave a weak smile. "You're right, change could also mean progress."

I nodded. "Mmm hmm…"

And there it was again, that awkwardness all over again. Only this time, he wasn't tired and neither was I. Or at least not physically. But I was pretty tired of whatever was causing this to begin with.

"Ure…?" Fraxure said suddenly and it almost made me jump.

Cilan gave another weak smile and he stood slowly and reached for Fraxure's bowl. "I'd be happy to get you seconds." And without saying anything else he walked toward the kitchen and disappeared inside. I just slumped in my chair and huffed out a sigh.

"What gives Fraxure? This is just so weird...?"

"Ure, ure." He said obviously agreeing.

"Things were going great, and then he gets so quiet…" I shook my head. "Now I'm starting to worry something really is wrong…"

I almost jumped again when Cress appeared next to me with bottle of more oran berry juice. Wordlessly he refilled my glass before stepping back from the table without saying anything. "Oh, thank you, Cress…" I mumbled out.

He just nodded, and didn't say anything else. But I thought his expression looked like… Well almost like he felt a little sorry for me, or he was sympathizing with me at least. But if that wasn't strange enough I heard some muffled voices coming from the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes and tried to pick up on what they were saying. It was Chili and Cilan, I knew that much, but it wasn't easy to understand most of what they were saying.

"Chili, please stop." That was definitely Cilan, and I wondered what he was talking about, but I figured it must have had to do with whatever he was doing in the kitchen. So feeling a little bad for trying to eavesdrop I turned back to my plate and poked at it with my fork.

"-obvious, I'm just saying!" That was Chili and though I didn't catch the first part it was enough to get me curious again.

"Well, I don't agree." Cilan answered back. I turned to glance over my shoulder at the swinging door leading into the kitchen. His voice sounded controlled of course, but at the same time a little upset too. But it wasn't really like Cilan to let his brother get under his skin. Actually there were only a handful of times I ever remember something getting to him that much.

"-kidding me?" Chili again.

"Ure?" Fraxure asked getting my attention again.

I swallowed hard and patted his snout. "Uh Cilan will be back with your food in a minute, okay?" I frowned to myself. "Or at least I think so…"

"-appreciate your motive, but-" That was Cilan and he sounded a little calmer now, which was good at least.

"Just trust my instinct for once, bro." Chili answered back and it sounded like he was getting closer to the door, because it came out louder and clearer.

"-your voice down please, she'll hear you." That was Cilan again, only now I had a bad feeling they were talking about me. Gesturing for Fraxure to wait there I stood and walked toward the kitchen.

"Heh, yeah because her hearing would be a _bad_ thing, right?" That was the last thing I heard Chili say before I pushed open the door and stepped in.

Chili had his back to me, so when he heard he just glanced over his shoulder, and grinned as smug as before. Cilan didn't take it quite as well though…

"Oh, Iris!" He looked about like I was the scariest person on the planet right then. Startled, he jerked his hand backward and tipped a basket of mixed berries, basically catapulting them toward me. "Look out!" He added in at the last second when he saw what was about to happen.

But thankfully one thing time hadn't changed were my reflexes. Jumping to the side I avoided what would have been a pretty big mess and the door took most of the hits for me. I felt as confused as ever, but Chili almost busted a gut when he doubled over laughing.

"Never mind, Cilan, I can see you're got this perfectly under control!" With that he pushed his way through the berry stained door, laughing all the while.

Narrowing my eyes at the door swinging closed behind him I shook my head. "He must be king of the kids…"

"A-Are you alright, Iris?" Cilan asked still looking shaken.

I nodded with a little grin. "Yeah, of course, I've dodged rocks bigger than those little berries."

He gave a weak smile as he reached for a broom in the corner. "Even so, please accept my apology, I'm afraid I'm rather clumsy today."

I bent down to scoop up a few handfuls of the berries that were still whole. "No problem, but um…" I looked up at him a little unsure if I should even ask. "What was that about, anyway?"

He frowned before rubbing at the back of his neck. It was obvious he was nervous. "Oh well, Chili and I were having a small disagreement."

I had a feeling there was more to it than that, but it seemed like he had a reason for not wanting me to know. And he already looked pretty frazzled, so I decided to just let it go.

"Well, at least let me help clean up this mess." I said reaching for a hand towel by the sink.

"Oh no, please, just leave that to me, you should go finish breakfast." He smiled, and it was another lame attempt at seeming casual. "A meal gone cold is a true shame to behold."

I rolled my eyes before kneeling to start wiping the door. "Well, I'll just have to survive beholding it then."

His shoulders slumped as he let go of a sigh. "I'm afraid this morning isn't going entirely as planned…"

"Planned?" I asked looking at him over my shoulder. I thought it was a little funny to plan something like a simple breakfast.

He bit his lip before I head him swallow hard and tug at his shirt collar. "Well yes, I had hoped our time together after so long, might have," he paused. "A certain pleasant aroma…"

I grinned as I reached to playfully elbow him in the side. "Well it did, you just didn't expect it to be berries."

For a second he didn't say anything, then a sincere smile appeared on his face. "I suppose that's not the worse choice."

"Nope, I happen to love berries after all." I said trying to reassure him.

He grinned, and for a second I thought he looked a little shy. Almost like when we were talking about his award.

"Well our reunion has certainly had a memorable flavor."

I frowned a little playfully as I rubbed at a blue splotch on the door. "Especially since I'm not sure if all these stains are going to come out…"

I turned to look at him with an apologizing shrug, and I was hoping he wouldn't take it too hard. I mean I knew how much his restaurant meant to him. But instead he just bunched up his shoulders and laughed. For a second I just watched him. Yeah from the little creases around his eyes, to the way his mouth twisted up with excitement. It was the same look that was usually preceded by evaluation, cooking, detecting or just general connoisseur time. I'd remembered it from when we first met. And from all the days afterward. All the days when I'd moan about what a pain in the neck he was. And to be honest, that much hadn't really changed. But maybe more than ever, I was realizing just how much I'd missed all that. How much I'd missed him.

So when I threw my head back and laughed too, well, I thought maybe he hadn't changed at all. Or at least I was hoping so… If staying the same meant more moments just like this one.

Well, then it made me wish we'd both stay exactly the same...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Iris' POV)

"Come on Cilan, we're gonna be late!" I shouted behind me as I darted down the sidewalk.

"I may be a bit out of shape since our last journey together..." He said in between breaths.

I grinned as I turned around to face him but kept walking backward. "Obviously you need to get out of the gym a little more often."

"You could be right about that." He rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Anyway," I said as I spun back around. "Ash is waiting for us at the Pokemon center!"

He laughed a little as he caught up with me and fell in step. "It seems like you're very excited to see him again, am I right?"

I nodded. "Duh of course! It's been so long, but now it'll be just like old times, the three of us. Almost like a family reunion…" I didn't mean for my voice to kind of trail off when I said that last part. But it was just...just something so close to my heart that…

"I agree, today is going to be both pleasant and memorable." He said with a soft smile.

"Frax!"

I patted Fraxure's head. "And you're looking forward to seeing Scraggy, right?"

"Ure, ure!" He answered back excitedly.

I laughed. "I think I can take that as a yes."

Cilan nodded before he got a kind of far away look on his face. "Seeing old friends again is a sure recipe for a success."

I smirked a little. "Yeah usually anyway…"

He frowned slightly. "You don't think so, Iris?"

I grinned. "No it's not that serious, I was just thinking about the last time I ran into Georgia." I shrugged. "I guess we pretty much fit that whole 'frenemies' thing."

He chuckled. "I imagine she had a few comments about you being champion now?"

I groaned as I rubbed at my forehead. "Yeah you _might_ put it that way."

Cilan laughed again. "Under her tough exterior I have the feeling she really values your friendship, Iris."

I sighed. "Yeah, weird as it is I kinda get that too. Though personally I like it better when relationships are a bit more straightforward."

He seemed thoughtful before he smiled just a little bit, and if I didn't knew better I would have said his eyes almost looked a sad. "Yes, that's understandable. But...relationships aren't always black and white, I'm afraid."

"Yeah I guess not…" I mumbled with a frown. But before I had much time to think it through something caught my attention. Turning toward a poster displayed in a shop window I squinted and reread it twice just to be sure.

Then spinning back around to face Cilan I smiled. "And when were you going to tell me about this?"

He looked a little confused at first before he got sorta bashful. "Oh well, I guess it slipped my mind."

"You have your name hanging on posers all over town and it _slipped your mind_?" I said hardly believing it.

He rubbed at the back of his neck before grinning awkwardly. "Well, it would have been rude to brag."

I sighed with a smirked as I shook my head. "Oh Cilan, you really haven't changed a bit, you're still polite to a fault!"

"I suppose I am…" He mumbled still looking pretty shy about the whole thing.

"So what's it's about anyway?"

"Oh, well it's for Striaton City's annual Gala. They asked Cress, Chili and I if we'd like to cater this year."

My eyes opened wider. "Wow, hey that's a pretty big deal, right?"

"Well it is an honor." He smiled a little. "Though I think the event would be even better if the Champion thought to attend."

I frowned. "They won't want me to give any kind of speech or whatever, will they?"

He shook his head and held his hand over his chest, almost bowing a little. "No, special speeches, I promise." It was a typical over the top 'Cilan type' gesture. The kind that might have looked a little strange if you didn't know him. But it made me smile, I guess I'd missed all the funny and annoying things about him.

"Okay, fine, as long as I don't have to do anything weird."

"There is one thing you could do for me though."

"Yeah?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

He frowned suddenly and hung his head. "Remind me that purrloin are just pokemon like all the others…"

I grinned. "Only if you actually beleive me this time. Why, are some going to be there?"

He nodded weakly. "Yes… Several of the city officials and top trainers have them." He grimaced. "To be honest I've never attended before for just this reason… But now that I've been asked to cater I…"

I patted his drooping shoulder, trying not to laugh. "Hey relax will ya Cilan, Chili or Cress can wait the table of those trainers. And," I copied his over the top 'gesture bow thing.'

"If you start to pass out, I promise I'll drag you away before you embarrass yourself."

He stood a little straighter and readjusted his bowtie. "Thank you, I wish I could overcome my fear, but I'm afraid that may never happen…"

I shrugged. "Well I get it, I mean sort of, if I relate it to ice types. So-" But right as I was talking I saw his eyes get so big that for a second I thought maybe all these purrloins were getting to him. But the next thing I knew he was shoving me into the alley we were standing by.

"Iris look out!"

I landed hard and it took a few seconds to get my head on straight again, but I saw a car swerve away from the sidewalk at the last second. And I didn't need to be Officer Jenny to figure out that they were going way faster than the limit.

"Fraxure, are you alright?" I asked as I glanced over at him.

"Ure…" He said with a startled nod.

Frowning I hopped to my feet and ran back onto the sidewalk. "Hey, why don't you slow down, before you kill somebody!" I shouted even though the only thing left of the car was a fast fading image in the distance.

"Iris, are you alright?" Cilan asked with a worried frown as he walked up next to me.

I nodded still feeling mad. "Yeah, no thanks to those creeps." Then exhaling I tried to let it go. "But anyway, you on the other hand… You just probably saved my life."

Cilan let go of a deep breath and seemed so relieved he almost looked weak. Then looking back up at me he smiled just a little. "I think I just found something even more frightening than purrloin."

I grinned back as I rubbed at the scrape I felt under my sleeve. "Well anyway, thanks." I wasn't really sure what else to say, honestly I still felt a little shook up over the whole thing.

Then I noticed as his eyes narrow and he got that searching look that said it was "thinking time."

"There's just one thing…" He frowned. "That car, it was completely silent, wasn't it?"

I stopped to run through it all in my head again. Then I nodded. "Yeah, they wouldn't have gotten the jump on me otherwise. But how could it not make any noise, Cilan?"

"Electric." He said snapping his fingers together. "I remember reading an article some months back on the development of cars that ran on electrical energy. And as such they are almost completely silent." He rubbed at his chin. "Though...I thought they all were still in a prototype stage…"

I put my hands on my sides and sighed. "Well it ran just fine, but the problem was with the crazy driver."

"True…" He mumbled, and it was plain to see his brain was too busy cooking up all kinds of mysterious to pay attention. I was almost expecting to see his trusty magnifying glass appear and hear, "it's detective time" ringing through the air.

But instead he just sighed slightly before focusing his attention on me again. "Well I'm just relieved you and Fraxure are alright."

I nodded. "Yeah thanks to you. Anyway…" I took a few steps forward before glancing over my shoulder at him. "Ash is waiting, so let's get going."

He just nodded as we picked up the pace and headed for the pokemon center. I knew I shouldn't have been surprised at all, but when we finally got there and walked in Nurse joy just pointed us toward the cafeteria. Not surprisingly Ash was sitting stuffing his face full.

I sighed. Sometimes it takes a lot more than time to make people grow up...

"Pika pi!" Pikachu said as he looked up and saw us. Jumping off Ash's shoulder he landed in my arms and licked at my cheek. Laughing I rubbed his head. "I missed you too Pikachu!"

"Guys…?" Ash mumbled with a full mouth as he looked up.

Cilan grinned a little. "Well a large appetite is a sign of good health."

I smirked. "And probably a few other things... "

Swallowing hard, Ash hopped to his feet and raced over to sling one arm around Cilan's neck, and another around mine. "Guys it really is you!"

Cilan laughed. "It's good to see you Ash, Pikachu, I take it you've both been well?"

Ash let go of us to grin and puff out his chest a little. "You bet, and we're on a winning streak too!" Then noticing Fraxure his eyes got big. "Oh wow, you mean Axew evolved?!"

I nodded and patted Fraxure's head. "You bet, Ash. And he's a lot stronger too." Fraxure looked shy, but I was so proud of him I couldn't help bragging at least a little.

Ash balled his fist. "Hey, then let's battle and see just how strong!"

I smirked. "Bring it on!"

"Now, now," Cilan interjected standing between us. "Though a battle would certainly add spice to our reunion I'll have to ask you two delay it for now."

"Aww how come, Cilan?" Ash asked looking clearly disappointed. Heh, some things really don't _ever_ change.

"Well I have work to do before the Gala."

"Gala?" Ash asked looking completely confused. So I stepped in.

"It's basically a big party the city is throwing, and they've asked Cilan's restaurant to provide the food."

Cilan nodded. "Right, and I have a few new recipes to perfect before then." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "It would be helpful if you two would help me see what they might be missing."

"Oh a taste test!" Ash said patting his stomach. "That would be awesome, Cilan, no problem I'll help you out for sure!"

I shook my head and smirked at Ash. "I think me telling you you're a little kid is in order, but I won't even bother."

He laughed. "Sorry, but Cilan's cooking is the only thing maybe as great as a pokemon battle."

Seeing Ash again had almost convinced me that all my ideas about people changing when they got older wasn't true at all. Sure he looked older just like the rest of us, but he pretty much just seemed like the same old Ash as before. To be honest I was kinda relieved. I didn't really like thinking about things changing too much. That whole afternoon with it just being the three of us, it felt just like it always had. We were a family, and life was great. But I guess the best part was just how simple everything felt. Like when Cilan had said that not all relationships were black and white, well I was just glad that ours were. We were friends and that wasn't ever going to change.

So I guess I was more than happy to just forget all about anybody acting strange before. I was ready to chalk it all up to me over analyzing. But as I was going to see all too clearly... that was before Chili walked in the door to the closed restaurant and over to us. Before the chain of events that would change my life started to happen...

"Looks like you had a busy day, bro?" He said as he tossed a newspaper down in front of Cilan. The look on Chili's face was weird for sure, like he was sort of concerned.

"Oh dear." Cilan whispered as he read over the paper.

"What is it?" Ash asked looking up from his plate.

Looking up he explained. "Earlier, before we met you at the pokemon center, Iris was almost hit by a car that swerved toward the sidewalk we were on."

"Really, are you okay?" Ash said looking over at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, Cilan pushed me out of the way. But what's that got to do with the paper?"

Cilan flipped it over to show it to us. The headline read: _Attempt on Champion's life narrowly avoided._

I shook my head. "This is just more of those annoying paparazzi at work."

"Yeah," Chili agreed before he went on. "They took the photo and coined the title like it was practically attempted murder."

"Reckless driving like that would most likely fall under manslaughter however." Cilan said chiming in.

I frowned, not exactly comfortable with a conversation trying to classify my theoretical death. "Anyway, I'm alive so…"

"Right," Chili started to say. "But it's a little more complicated than just some crazy driver going too fast. According to the rest of the article that car was stolen this morning."

"What really?" Ash said frowning.

"Well that would certainly explain their hastily driving." Cilan said as he thought carefully. "They could have been in the process of making their escape from the scene of the crime."

Chili laughed. "What loser luck, right? Almost hitting the Unova champion and getting your picture taken by her paparazzi during your getaway!"

"Indeed," Cilan nodded agreeing. "But it's a great advantage to solving this crime." Reaching for the paper again he stared at the picture. "The picture is blurry, but there could still be some clue hidden in plain sight." And then there it was, that magnifying glass!

I moaned. "Hey Cilan, don't you think we should just leave it to the police to figure this out?"

Cilan smiled a little. "Perhaps it would have been, but look." He turned the paper and pointed toward our faces in the picture and then our names in the article. "We were the only witnesses, so I'm afraid we're already involved, Iris. In fact, I imagine the police will probably want us to give some kind of statement."

I facepalmed and mumbled. "And who was it with the loser luck again…?"

I knew Cilan was enjoying all of this way too much though. He smiled. "But this could give us the opportunity to be instrumental in solving this crime."

"So…" I said with a frown. "That basically means now even I've been roped into playing detective with you…?"

He laughed as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I suppose so!"

I sighed. "Well, don't get me wrong I wouldn't mind putting that driver behind bars. So yeah, if the police ask I'll play along, but I honestly don't remember anything special."

"You're right," Cilan said thoughtfully. "The incident did happen very quickly, but if I think back…" He closed his eyes and was totally silent for a few moments before he snapped. "The driver had blonde hair, I'm almost sure of it!"

"Really, how did you notice that…?" I said with, granted, not much enthusiasm.

"In the few moments before I pushed you out of harm's way, I was given a clear oncoming view of the driver. A man, roughly in his late forties, blonde hair and…" He looked down to think before smiling again. "Blue eyes I'd say, though one of them was blocked by an eyepatch!"

"Oh please…" I said laying my head down on the table.

Chili smirked. "Well, you both have a little project to work on together now, isn't that cute!"

I sighed as I turned to Ash. "Misery loves company you know…"

He laughed. "It sounds like fun, I'll help."

"Then it's settled…" Cilan said as he slowly rose to his feet. Then smirking and pulling that same old cap on his head, (where did he keep that thing, in his back pocket?) he posed with his magnifying glass.

"It's detective time!"

Oh boy… Maybe now I was wishing some things _would_ change after all…

 **Thanks guys, stick around for more coming soon! And please feel free to review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (Iris' POV)

I'd heard of old stories about princesses locked up in castles. The stories went that they were trapped by an evil dragon and needed a white knight to rescue them. But the thing is...there aren't any bad dragons. So I'm not really sure if I believe the rest of the story either. But even if some of it's right, it's still all wrong for me.

I frowned a little as I pulled at the puffy dress I was wearing. Yeah...definitely didn't want to be a princess any time soon. Smiling, I looked over at Fraxure munching berries in the corner. And that "evil" dragon was actually my best friend. Then I sighed as I tried to push my masquerade mask up a little higher on my nose.

"Iris, um I'm back with the Oran berry juice!"

I sighed again as I tried to get lost in the crowd before my "biggest fan" could find me again. Because the white knight thing was definitely a joke…

It wasn't like the random guy I'd met at the gala wasn't trying to be nice, but I was kinda hoping nobody would even recognize me… I mean shouldn't there at least be some trade off for everybody wearing these funny looking masks? But something told me this night was far from over. At least the worst thing Cilan had to worry about was Purloin…

"Oh, Champion Iris, I'm back with the hors d'oeuvre."

And there was my another one of my "biggest fan." I'd honestly forgotten what he'd said his name was again. But I was pretty sure both those guys were more interested in asking me out than for battle advice. And that was one thing I wouldn't have minded giving out. But as it was…

I slipped through the crowd as best I could until I made it the balcony and walked out. What I really needed was some fresh air. Like now. I sighed as I leaned against the railing. The stars were out like crazy tonight, and it felt kinda good to see them right now. It sort of reminded me of being back home, in the forest outside the village of dragons. Which was pretty much the complete opposite of this fancy party.

Pulling off my long white gloves I flexed my fingers. I honestly thought my elbows were starting to sweat… But the funny thing was...well when I glanced back in at Cilan gliding between tables… Well he fit really great. He looked right at home with a white tux and shining serving dome on his hand. But it's not like I was surprised that we were different. I smirked. In fact, Ash looked right at home raiding the snack buffet himself.

"Ure…?" Fraxure mumbled as he waddled out to me on the balcony.

I smiled as I rubbed him under his chin. "I just needed some fresh air." Then I winked at him. "And just between me and you, a well placed dragon rage might work too…"

And that point just got that much clearer when I heard my two "fans" start a brawl in the dining room. I could have taken care of it myself, but Officer Jenny beat me to it. Which honestly, was fine by me.

When the commotion died down I was twice as ready to disappear now that all eyes were on me again. Being champion was bad enough, but almost being hit by a car, and then having two crazy guys fight over you at the party of the year, well it made it a lot worse.

"My, what a distasteful flavor…" Cilan mumbled with a grin as he stepped over to me now that it had even got his attention. Then he frowned. "They weren't threatening you were they?"

I sighed. "No, not exactly, Cilan." I begrudgingly tugged my gloves back on. "But either way I could have done without all that fanfare. Anyway, what's up with you, doing okay with the Purloin?"

Sure enough he froze up like a rock just at the mention of them. "Well...thankfully Chili and Cress have covered all of those tables for me…"

I smirked. "Well hang in there, things are bound to wind down before long around here."

His face fell a little. "I imagine you must be in a hurry to go home after what happened. I'm sorry they were so rude."

I shrugged. "Well it's not just them, I guess I'm not that great when it comes to fancy stuff like this."

I watched as a little smile slowly reappeared on his face. He hesitated for a second before going on. "Well I don't know why ever not, Iris, you're a perfect match for this lovely evening."

For a second I just stared at him, almost like he'd just said something crazy. But mostly it was just, well it was unexpected. Not that it should have been, I mean what else was he going to say? I rubbed at the back of my head nervously. Now I knew the fancy junk was getting to me.

"Well thanks, Cilan." Was all I said, but it seemed kinda flat. Or lame, yeah that was a pretty good word for it. But before I could add anything a little less lame, someone came up and gently grabbed my hand.

"It's a pleasure, madam Champion." He was some guy with a thin mustache and a row of metals pinned to his jacket. Before I could say or do anything, he kissed the top of my hand and pulled me toward him a little. "May I have the honor of this dance?"

Maybe I was just a little too flustered to say what I wanted to, which was frankly, no. I didn't want to be rude about it but… But it didn't matter, because I couldn't really say anything, I just looked over at Cilan. But he just gave us both a weak smile before he bowed out. Leave it to him, polite to a fault just like I said he was!

How did I get myself into this mess was all I was asking myself as I was being twirled around by some stranger. He smelled like a mix between cheap cologne and mechanic grease. But I figured that was just what it took to slick down his hair, because it almost looked like it could slide right off his head.

And there I was again, being rude, or at least in my head. But maybe I just valued my personal space more than most? If I had to figure out a "socially acceptable" way out of this than fine, I would. Winking at Ash I did my best to get his attention. All he'd need to do was cut in and I'd be free. He looked up from his plate and seemed a little clueless at first, so I nodded and made a face. He just shrugged before waving at me and digging back in.

Oh boy…

I guess I could try the same act with Cilan, he wasn't waiting tables at the moment, but… But for some reason I hesitated. Why I didn't get though. He certainly would have been a little quicker on the up take than Ash, but… But I still couldn't help hesitating. Maybe it was-

"May I cut in?" I heard someone say from beside us. The guy dancing with me got an annoyed look on his face, but he seemed too proper to really let it show. So letting go of me he bowed out and Cilan of all people stepped in. Guess I wouldn't have time to worry about why it was awkward. At least I was relieved.

Sighing I frowned up at him. "Took you long enough, didn't it?"

He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't intruding."

"Intruding, really? What you thought he was my type?" I frowned playfully at him. "And you call yourself a connoisseur?"

Cilan laughed. "I admit it wasn't the most agreeable flavor to me either."

I planned on telling him to take me to the side so I'd be free of the dance floor, but it didn't happened exactly like that. Because before I knew it, we both were still dancing.

I grinned. "So...let me guess, you wouldn't happen to be a dancing connoisseur too, would you?"

His face softened a little. "I'm not sure I can take that much credit, but I have enjoyed certain waltz on occasion."

"Right," I said smirking with my eyes half-lidded. "I figured as much."

He moved us in perfect sync with the music as he laughed lightly. "Though to be honest, I haven't practiced in a long time. I hope I don't dance far worse than your other admirers."

I smirked. "Yeah well at this point I really don't care if you break my toes, in fact, that would really get me out of this party. But if-" Then I stopped talking and dancing all at the same time. My forehead bunched and I looked up at him with a confused frown. "Hey, what do you mean by _other_ admirers." The way he'd put it made it almost seem like he was one of them.

He just frowned back at me as he stopped moving too. But before he could say anything somebody was dinging their wine glass like it was a fire alarm. "Waiter, do you mind? I would like another glass of your 48, I am absolutely parched!"

Cilan let go of my hands and turned to face the table, but sad to say it was one of the purloin trainers. And that fat cat was perched right next to the wine glass. I bit my lip and tried to think fast. So putting on my best smile I walked over and pulled off my mask. "How about the champion recommendation instead?" I asked in the friendliest voice I could manage.

The man looked confused at first, then amused. He smiled slightly. "Alright, which do you prefer, madam Champion?"

I glanced at the cart filled with wine bottles behind me. Then reaching for one at random I poured him a little, and just for effect, a little in a separate glass for me. "W-Why don't we try this one?" I choked out as I tried to ignore the sour smell.

The guy at the table sure didn't mind though, because he went out of his way to smell it. "Ah, the 67, also a good year, if I do say so, my dear."

I tried to smile as he tipped his head back and I had to do the same. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make me want to gag, but I tried to smile and excuse myself as politely as possible. When I got back to my empty table I tried to wash my mouth out with oran berry juice, but it seemed like my taste buds were already burnt out…

"Iris…" Cilan said slowly as he slipped into the seat next to me. "That was...so kind of you." He sounded almost shocked.

I shrugged and tried to get the sour look off my face. "That's what friends are for. Besides, I owed you one for getting me out of that dance with Mr. Slick."

Cilan smiled a little wider. "Well, consider it paid in full." Then he chuckled. "I take it your taste for wine hasn't improved?"

I shook my head wearily. "I know you say it's pretty special but...yeah well...not even friends can agree on everything."

He laughed. "Well, that is what gives relationships their unique flavor!"

Then he slipped away to wait a few more tables. One thing was for sure, I had had plenty enough action for one night, but little did I know I was about to get a lot more…

I hardly had time to even try and catch my breath before something else was going on. In nothing flat an alarm was going off. I wasn't really sure if it was from a fire or something else. But I didn't smell any smoke or anything so…? But one look at Officer Jenny gave me the rest of the story. Her eyes went wide before narrowing.

"Someone is in the safe room downstairs!" She yelled before darting straight for the door.

I frowned but wasn't sure what else to do. In fact, I was still trying to figure out what was going on. What safe? I knew this place was fancy, but I didn't think it had anything worth stealing. But any idea I had of just letting Officer Jenny figure it out, went right out the window as soon as I saw Cilan dart out after her.

"Oh no, not again!" I groaned as I slapped at my forehead. Something told me he was at it again. First the bit with the almost hit and run, and now whatever was going on now. Now Cilan was probably bent on playing detective all over again. But robbers, really? I mean if that was what was going on, then they probably had guns and all sorts of powerful pokemon! I sighed before waving toward Fraxure.

"Ure!?" He asked as he ran up to me. I frowned as I pulled off those annoying heels once and for all. "Something tells me Cilan is going to need our help!"

"Ure ure!" He said as his face turned determined.

"Right, let's go!" I shouted with a nod before running after them. I know we always got into a lot of adventures when we were younger, but that didn't mean he had to go looking for trouble. Or at least not if it was just to flex his annoying detective muscle!

There was a set of stairs leading down, so I figured that's where they were headed. But the faster I ran the anger I got. "Oh Cilan, get back here!" I shouted.

Now the stairs ended and it led into a hallway. But that just meant I had no idea where to go from here. There was a door to the left, right, and straight ahead. I squinted at the choices and tried to think fast. But before I even had the chance to wander the door to my left opened and out stepped someone.

A guy, blonde hair, blue eyes, and one of them was blocked by an eye-patch. Really!? It matched Cilan's description of the guy who almost ran me over perfectly. I frowned at him, but he just froze and stared at me without saying anything.

"Okay, hold it! What's going on here!?" I demanded as I pointed at him, while Fraxure slowly stepped closer.

But he still didn't say anything he just stood there, but then, right from the room he had just left, a pokemon floated out and hovered beside him. By float I mean just that, it wasn't a Unova native, but I'd read about them before. It was from Kanto I think, an Abra.

"Iris!?" I suddenly head Cilan's voice just before the door at the end of the hallway flung open and him and Pansage raced out. Now we had him covered from both sides, and when Officer Jenny stepped out to back up Cilan, well I knew this guy didn't have a chance of getting away. Or at least that's what I figured. But I guess I hadn't read enough about Abra, because I was totally dumbfounded when they both suddenly disappeared into thin air right in front of us.

"What in the world!?" I shouted.

Cilan raced over to me and tried to speak in between huffing for breath. "It...was teleport."

"Teleport?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

Cilan straightened his bow tie and cleared his throat. "Yes, it's a move very common to Abra. Now I'm afraid they could be anywhere." He swallowed hard before frowning even harder. "It seems like we were purposely mislead by the alarm in the safe room…"

"He didn't even try tampering with the safe." Officer Jenny said crossing her arms. "But it is likely he just heard the alarm and ran."

"Perhaps…" Cilan said slowly, thinking. "But I don't think that was actually his target."

"What are you talking about, what is as valuable as the Striaton gems?"

"Value," Cilan started to saw thoughtfully. "Is often of a personal nature. Depending on the motives for this crime, and another prize could have held even more value."

"Well, he came out of there." I said pointing toward the door to my left.

"That's just the library. What would he want to steal in there?"

Cilan though for a moment before pulling out his magnifying glass. "At this point we can't be sure he did want to steal something..." He held up his index finger and almost smiled. Something told me he was already having fun. What a kid…

"The greatest thing of value in a library is knowledge. And I believe that if we can find the book he was searching for, then we may just have found our answer."

Slowly he stepped in and slumped over the floor, he was staring holes in every inch of the floor, as he crept along with that magnifying glass. I sighed. "Are you sure about this, Cilan…? I mean who breaks into a fancy mansion just to read a book?"

He glanced up at me from over his shoulder. "A better question, Iris, would be, what book could he read here that he couldn't read anywhere else?"

I shrugged. "How to be snobby, 101?"

Cilan laughed. "No, I'm afraid not. But this mansion is one of the oldest in Striaton. Besides being the site of the annual gala, and a very popular tourism attraction, it's home to a very unique collection of books. You see the owner was a very famous novelist, and all of their personal works are kept here. But besides all that, they also dabbled in archaeology. That's how the famous Striaton gems were discovered."

I frowned. "So you're telling me someone was more interested in reading about gems than just taking the ones in the room over?"

"She has a point." Officer Jenny said nodding.

He stood up straight again and rubbed at his chin. "I admit it is strange, but the evidence speaks for itself."

"What evidence?" I asked sincerely.

"Why this set of footprints for one." He stepped to the side and gestured to the carpet. "They lead directly to the book case. Then if you look at the shelf itself you'll find a slightly greasy stain on the spine of 'A Tale of Relics.'"

"So that's a book on archaeology?" Officer Jenny asked seeming skeptical.

Cilan frowned and shook his head. "Yes and no, it does touch on the topic but only in the sense of being the main plot element to a novel."

I tilted my head to the side. "So that's one of the books the previous owner wrote, right?"

Cilan nodded. "Yes. But I would have thought they would want to read more of an informative volume, rather than having the facts clouded by the artistic format…"

I smiled a little. "Well to be honest, I never like books without storylines either."

Cilan grinned weakly and rubbed at the back of his neck, he almost looked a little embarrassed. "I have to admit that all the facts of this crime aren't clear to me either, I'm afraid."

"At least nothing was taken." Officer Jenny said as she glanced around the room.

"There's just one thing…" I mumbled, saying what I was thinking. "If he was in here reading a book, and we know he can just teleport in and out, then how did he set off the safe room alarm? Would he really have gotten what room to appear in that mixed up?"

"It is puzzling for sure, Iris…" Cilan said before he trailed off.

"Hey guys, what's going on!?" Ash asked as he suddenly appeared in the doorway, trying to catch his breath.

I crossed my arms. "Well, it looks like the guy who stole the car, and nearly ran me over, struck again."

"Oh man, really?" Ash asked with his mouth hanging open. "What did he take this time?"

"Nothing apparently." I said shrugging. "And he got away with an Abra that could teleport to boot."

Ash didn't say anything at first, he just frowned. "Well, me and Pikachu would have been down to help sooner, but I got held up talking to some guy I met outside the bathroom. This house is so huge I didn't even hear about the alarm until later. Anyway…" He said digging a slip of paper out of his pocket. "He saw us talking before and asked if I knew you, Iris. When I told him yeah, he gave me this."

Taking the paper from Ash I squinted down at it. Then I threw my head back and groaned. "Oh please!"

"What is it, Iris?" Cilan asked.

I rolled my eyes. "It's an address, and an invitation to have tea or something."

"From one of your suitors?" He asked with a frown.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, I guess if you can call them that, but I don't care who it's from, I'm not going!"

"Ash…" Cilan said carefully, like he was thinking a mile a minute. "How did this man look, you know, the one that wanted to meet with Iris?"

Ash thought for a second before rubbing at the back of his head. "Uh he had a weird mustache, and smelled sorta funny I guess…"

I gritted my teeth. "Great, it's the revenge of Mr. Slick from the dance floor."

"Oh, was he the one you were dancing with before…?" Ash mumbled sounding clueless as usual.

"Yeah, but not by choice. Anyway, I'm definitely not going, that guy gave me the creeps!"

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea, Iris…" Cilan mumbled.

I spun around on my heels to face him. "What do you mean, you of all people want me to go!?"

He waved his hands defensively in front of himself. "Well no, I admit that the two of you would make a rather distasteful pair, but…" Then without saying anything else Cilan carefully reached for "A Tale of Relics" and held the spine next to the slip of paper in my hand.

"I recognized it right away, both the grease stain and the scent are the same." Cilan leaned to sniff the book and then the piece of paper. "The aroma seems to be a blend of economy men's fragrance, and...an oil of some sort, possibly automotive."

"Yeah no kidding." I said rolling my eyes, before looking back at him. "But what does this mean, was Mr. Slick reading this book too? And even if he was, then what does it have to do with me?"

"I'm not sure…" Cilan mused. "But if it could help further our investigation, your 'date' might not be completely in vain."

I groaned again. "Oh come on, you're kidding me right?"

Cilan just grinned, but in his eyes I could see that pleading little twinkle. It was a look that I usually couldn't say no to. Even if I really, _really_ , wanted to…

So that's how I ended up having the first, and worst date of my life. Talk about a waste of a major life milestone! And it was all Cilan's fault, there has to be at least a little irony in that, right? Either way, I didn't have any idea that the whole crazy nightmare was only just beginning. Right then, I would have given anything to know what was going on. In the back of my mind, I was trying to convince myself that it wouldn't be any big deal. That Cilan was overthinking things like he always does.

But as it turned out, that was just _wishful_ thinking…

 **A big thanks for the reads and reviews, stick around for more!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 (Iris' POV)

"Well it looks like this is the place…" I said as I glanced back at the slip of paper with Mr. Slick's address. "Sure is big, huh Cilan?"

"Large yes…" He mumbled from beside me as we both stared up at the huge mansion in front of us. "But it also has something unsettling about its aroma."

I sighed. "Yeah, duh of course, I mean I am going in there to have tea with that creepy guy. What could be more unsettling than that?"

Cilan frowned as he glanced around. "It seems rather secluded…"

I crossed my arms. "What, now even you're getting creeped out?"

He chuckled slightly and rubbed at the back of his neck. "It's not that, it's just…" His face went serious suddenly. "I had hoped he wanted to meet you in a more public place, this meeting could be dangerous as it is."

"More dangerous than wasting my first date on Mr. Cheap Motor Oil?" I asked with a smirk.

Cilan glanced over at me with a hesitant, but thoughtful look. "This is your first date?"

I blushed and frowned all at the same time, before I turned to face the other way. "Okay, so I don't get out a lot…"

He cleared his throat. "I'm just worried, since we don't yet know the intentions or motives of this man. He could be dangerous, and this could be a trap."

I reached to pat Fraxure on the head. "Oh yeah, well just let him give me an excuse to cut with the politeness, and I might actually enjoy this after all." I turned back toward Cilan. "We can take care of ourselves, no need to worry about that. Besides, you'll be waiting outside as back up, right?"

He nodded. "Of course, in fact I would assume that that large picture window would lead into his main entertaining room. That's probably where he plans to have you sit, if so then I would have a great vantage point from these bushes."

I smiled a little. "Great then it's all settled, and anyway, if that doesn't work you could always cut in as my…" I thought for second before I laughed. "Butler maybe? Yeah I think you'd make a nice butler."

He sighed and smiled back weakly.

"Well, let's just get this over with…" I said trying to convince myself it wasn't going to be as horrible as I figured it would be. But as soon as I turned to leave I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. Glancing back, I stopped and saw Cilan looking more serious than before. For a second neither of us said anything, but then he spoke up.

"Iris...please be careful."

I wanted to just brush it off, reassure him that I had this. But for some crazy reason I froze up again right then. It was like I couldn't get out what I wanted to say, but snapping myself out of it I just nodded at him and walked away.

If Cilan was so worried, maybe I should have been too? Thinking like that could have really thrown me off, but I didn't think that was really what was bothering me suddenly. No, instead I...just thought it was nice that he cared that much to begin with. But why wouldn't he, of course he did? Right?

I was completely tangled up in thoughts like that when the massive front door flung open before I could even knock. I'm not gonna lie, I jumped a little.

"Madam, Champion, I presume?" Said some older guy in a black suit. Something told me this guy was an even better fit for a butler than Cilan. And as it turns out, that's just what he was. I nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Ah yes, so I see. Well, please follow me, Master Rigford is awaiting you, madam."

I followed him, but rolled my eyes as soon as he turned his back. If this guy had the nerve to think I was EVER going to end up with a last name as funny sounding as "Rigford," he sure had another thing coming. One thing was for sure, this house was even creeper from the inside. It was old and musty smelling, and the decorum must have been from the last century at best. The butler stopped at a huge door and turned back to look at me for a second before he pulled it open and gestured me inside.

"Master Rigford, your guest has arrived."

"Ah, very good." I heard someone say from a corner. I frowned before I could stop myself, as I watched him step out of a shadow, and into the center of the room. I glanced toward the window hoping to see Cilan, but I couldn't make out much more than bushes, and with his hair he'd blend in almost perfectly anyway so...

"You're even more lovely without that silly masquerade mask, my dear. Please sit down."

I tried to smile, honest I did, I knew I was supposed to me hamming it up for the sake of the "investigation" but I felt more like gagging than anything else right then.

"Uh t-thanks." I said as I slipped into the creepy red armchair he was gesturing toward. "Ure…" Fraxure said with narrowed eyes as he stepped protectively in front of me.

Slick laughed a little, but it wasn't the friendly kind. It was more the: "I'm so snobby and probably evil that it shows" kind of laugh.

"How cute." He said as he looked down at Fraxure. "It's interesting to see a pokemon so often out of its pokeball."

I patted Fraxure on the arm, just to calm him down a bit. Trust me, I wanted to dragon rage this guy right then and there, but we needed to play it cool for Cilan. "Um yeah," I said trying to sound natural. "He doesn't like being in there much. But don't worry he won't be in the way." Then I turned toward Fraxure and pointed to the spot next to my chair. "Sit here, okay."

"Ure." He agreed with a hesitant nod, but he kept a glare locked on Slick.

"Quite alright," he said as he slowly lowered into the seat across from me. Next the butler reappeared with cups and a pot of tea. My first thought was maybe it was spiked with something so I waited until Slick took a drink first. I wanted to laugh at myself though, I was getting as crazy as Cilan. Poison tea? This guy was probably just another creepy admirer. Maybe Cilan was wrong to suspect he was anything more?

"You know," he started slowly. "I read about that horrible affair in the paper. The one with your near unfortunate accident?"

Or maybe not… I hadn't been here more than five minutes and he was already asking about the stolen car case. Oh no, now I'd called it a "case" too...

"Yeah…" I said carefully. "It was a little scary I guess, but no harm done."

He narrowed his eyes before taking another drink of tea. "Your gym leader friend saved you, didn't he?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything else. What was he getting at, all of that was in the paper, he already knew it, what else was he gunning for?

"That was...fortunate. He was also the one from the gala the other day, correct?" He smiled a little as if he found something funny. "He cut in on our dance, didn't he?"

I swallowed awkwardly before putting on my best calm face. I pretended to examine the pattern on the tea cup. "Yeah, that was him." I figured it was best to keep him guessing, don't give him any more information than I had too. Not until I figured out what he was after.

"Right… Well, I'm glad it's just the two of us today."

I smiled over at him, but it sure wasn't for the reason he figured.

"Did you hear about the break in, at the gala?" I asked suddenly. Maybe it was a risk, but something told me that's where this conversation was headed anyway. I was starting to get an idea. And from the look on his face I was right, that got a flinch out of him.

"Nothing was stolen though…" I added cooly. "Funny."

He shifted in his seat a little uncomfortably before regaining his sickeningly swave demeanor. "No, very intriguing, wasn't it? But you know, Madam Champion, it seems odd how trouble continues to follow you…?" His eyes narrowed, before he smiled again. "I hope you can remain safe… I suppose it would help if the man were caught…"

I frowned before I could stop myself. I had an idea, Cilan was definitely right about this guy being connected somehow, but what did he want with me? Was he implying that I had something to do with it…?

"But enough about that…" He said suddenly. "That's police business, and we are here on personal terms, my dear." Yeah that's what he thinks anyway… It took all I could do not to throw up on him by this point. Oh the things I do for Cilan…

"Call me Iris." I choked out, figuring it would make me seem at least a little friendly.

"Iris…" He whispered with a smile. Then leaning across the table he reached out to touch the side of my hair. "Like the sweetest of flowers…"

Okay, he was actually touching me now, time to kill him.

Glancing down at Fraxure, I was just about to give him the dragon rage okay, when the doors flew open and someone raced in. Slick jerked back his hand and we both turned to see what was going on. It was all I could do not to beam a grin when I saw Cilan standing there looking like he was in a rage himself.

"Unhand her, you!" He shouted. The butler raced in apologizing for not stopping him, but no one was paying attention to him, all eyes were on Cilan.

"Excuse me?" Slick said seeming calm, but annoyed all the same.

Then Cilan turned to look at me with a despondent frown. "Tea time?!" He shouted at me with an edge of betrayal in his voice. "Do our years of companionship mean nothing to you!?" I was a little confused at first, but then I caught his wink, and I knew what he was up to. He was cutting in again, and saving me from a bad spot. And something told me with Cilan's flair for the dramatic, he was enjoying this anyway.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew I needed to say something. Or at least I thought I did, but Cilan jumped in again before I could even bother. "A meal is an extrange of the heart, Iris, how could you have even tea with another man!?" He looked on the verge of tears, and possibly an aneurysm. I was on the verge of dying laughing, or at least I would have been if it wouldn't have blown our cover.

"It's just tea, Cilan, give me a break!" I said back as I took another drink for effect. And that was actually true, Cilan made too much out of eating even when he wasn't trying to be overly dramatic.

He crossed his arms. "Then I suppose _our_ omelette meant nothing to you!?"

I sighed. "Well it tasted good sure, and I had fun making it with you, but…"

"No buts!" He shouted. "If I didn't know better, I'd say this scene had the aroma of betrayal!" Then he reached for my hand and pulled me into a standing position. "But I know deep within my heart that no stranger can come between us, Iris!"

He reached for my other hand and squeezed them tightly. I swallowed hard, maybe he was playing this up a little too much? His eyes went pleading. "If you only look deeply inside your own heart, I know you'll see it too!"

"Uh…" Was all I choked out before Slick stood and glared at Cilan.

"I will kindly ask that you get out of my house, sir."

Cilan let go of my hands and took a step in front of me. "Gladly, we'll _both_ be going! Or would you prefer I challenge you to a pokemon battle!?" He said before pulling a white glove out of his pocket and tossing it down on the table.

Wow...nice touch.

Slick huffed. "A show of brute force will hardly prove anything. Though I assure you, I could wipe the floor with you, young man… So why don't we let the lady decide for herself?"

"Fine with me!" Cilan shouted sounding exasperated.

Now they were both staring holes in me. All I really wanted to do was disappear, or at least get the heck out of here. But I needed it to look good. Though honestly, I was WAY too frazzled for that at this point. So I ended up tripping all over myself instead.

"Uh w-well the omelette was pretty good so…" I turned to Cilan and shrugged. "I guess we could talk about it, you know see what happens? Maybe make a pizza next?"

"Why certainly." Cilan said softly before he leaned to kiss the top of my hand. I frowned and turned a few shades redder before glancing back at old Slick. "Uh, thanks for the tea though, don't call me, I'll uh call you…?" I smiled a little awkwardly before I grabbed Fraxure and headed for the door. But as usual Cilan was having more fun than was good for him...

"I see that answers that…" He said smugly, as he gloated in front of Slick. Yeah Mr. Slick was going red too, or at least _seeing_ it.

"Uh Cilan…" I mumbled out awkwardly, trying to tell him to hang up the act and follow me out.

Cilan twirled around on his heels with flair, before grinning at me. "Coming, my fragrant bouquet!"

I felt my eyebrow twitch. Yeah, this was so much worse than anything I could have imagined…

I don't know exactly when I stopped running, just that it took a while before I felt like I was far enough away. But when we finally were away I turned to glare at Cilan. "I was going to thank you, but after that last line, I'm not too sure if I should!"

He winched with a weak smile. "My apologies, Iris, I may have gotten a bit carried away..."

"I'll say!" I huffed before crossing my arms and turning away, so he wouldn't see that my face was still red... Then sighing I tried to be a little less angry at him, and glanced back. "Well at least you got me out of there, thanks for that…"

To my complete shock he pulled the same move Slick had and reached to brush past the side of my hair. I frowned and was about to slap his hand away, but I was too frozen to move. Though Cilan's face looked anything but romantic, instead he frowned and got on his "thinking time" stare.

"Just as I thought…" He mumbled to himself before he pulled his hand back and opened his palm. Inside it was a strange little device.

"What's that, and what's it doing in my hair!" I shouted.

"This," he began. "Would be a tracking device. Mr. Rigford planted it there just as I came into the room. His affections toward you were just a ruse, I'm afraid."

I frowned. "Oh please, don't say it like I'll be disappointed…"

Cilan narrowed his eyes at the device. "This is troubling though…"

"Why, just throw it away?" I said thinking it was pretty simple.

"But it implies that he wanted something from you. That he suspects you of being able to provide something he needs." He frowned wider. "I think this was a mistake, now you are most certainly involved." He shook his head. "It was wrong of me to ask you to do this… I'm sorry, Iris…"

I frowned as I reached to touch his shoulder slightly. "Hey… Don't beat yourself up, okay? I was already involved, we both were ever since that car almost swerved into us."

"I know but…" He mumbled.

"No buts!" I said trying to smile a little. "Isn't that what you said? Whatever was going to happen would have anyway, at least now we're on to him. And we've both got each other's back, because that's what friends do for each other. So it'll all be fine, stop worrying."

He looked up from hanging his head and smiled a little at me. "We did make quite the team back there...didn't we?"

I glanced down at the ground as a strange feeling swirled around in my stomach. "Yeah...I guess you could say that…" Then I swallowed hard again and tried to shake the feeling. "So we just have to go from here. However we do that anyway…"

Cilan rubbed at his chin. "It seems like the trail of clues has gone cold for now…" Then he held up his index finger triumphantly. "But I'd assume that it will only be a matter of time before either Rigford or the man with the eyepatch, strikes again. I'm almost sure the two are somehow connected now!"

"Right, so I guess we just have to wait…" I mumbled still staring at the ground. Now is when the awkward silence set in, and honestly, right now it was almost more than I could handle. I mean after a crazy strange day like this… So I pulled myself together and broke it for us.

"Look, Cilan...uh we both said some weird things back there but um…" I rubbed at the side of my arm before getting the nerve to look up at him with a little grin. Or at least as much of one as I could manage. "What I mean is, I was serious about at least one thing…"

"Oh, and what would that be…?" He asked softly.

I laughed a little, even though I still felt more awkward than not. "The pizza, it would actually hit the spot right about now… And um since no one cooks better than you do…"

"Oh, I see." He said with a smile. Then he laughed, and it was nice to hear him sounding so much like himself again. "Well, I'd be honored if you'd help me, we could do together, Iris."

I looked up at him a little shyly. "Uh...it's a plan."

"Ure, ure!" Fraxure said snapping me back to attention as he darted ahead. It seemed like he was more than happy to agree with this idea.

Cilan beamed me a smile before he picked up his pace and followed after Fraxure.

But I just stood there for a second, not moving at all. I wanted to, I mean spending time with my friends, it was always my favorite thing in the world. But something felt strange as I watched them both walking away. It was probably just the crazy day, or the stress from it all, but…

But either way...well I was just…

Something felt different, and I guess I was just _wishing_ I understood why…

 **Thanks for reading, feel free to review! More coming soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 (Iris' POV)

No matter how comfortable the bed, I always thought it was easier to just sleep out under the stars. Almost like you were a part of everything, like you really belonged. It wasn't like I didn't sleep inside too, but on those nights when I had something on my mind anyway, well it was almost impossible to get any rest inside.

I guess tonight, was one of those nights…

Climbing down the bunk bed ladder I tried to be quiet so I wouldn't wake Fraxure who was sleeping below. When I reached the bottom I just stood there looking at him for a second, before I reached to pull the blanket a little closer around him. He looked different since he'd evolved, that was for sure… He was bigger and stronger than ever before, but… But to me he still looked cute when he was sleeping, almost like no matter how big he got, he'd still be my little Axew… I figured that went for when he became a Haxorus too someday.

I didn't bother putting on my shoes when I crept out of the pokemon center, I liked the feeling of the cold ground under my feet anyway. I was wishing right about now that there was some tree to climb, something to do to make my head feel clearer, but in Striaton city there sadly weren't many trees big enough to climb. It sort of made me wonder how Cilan could stand living here all the time, but...then I guess he'd never really been the climbing type.

Sitting on the grass just outside the center door I brought my knees up until I could rest my chin on them. It was pretty late, but every now and then a car would still pass by on the road. It looked like everybody stayed up later in a big city. Maybe that was because no one had anything to climb either?

I smiled, almost laughing at myself. Or yeah, that was just me.

Maybe I was just using that as an excuse anyway though? I mean even if I would have been in my favorite tree back home right now, I'm not sure if I would have been able to sleep at all. Today had been really busy, obviously, so that must have been it right? Having to deal with creepy people like Mr. Slick, and sit through his evil scheme in a weird mansion. It almost sounded like some horror movie for sure. And just like Cilan had said, I was definitely involved now. Involved in whatever was going on.

Part of me was wondering how I got myself into this mess, and the other part was pretty sure it was at least a little bit Cilan's fault. I smiled again. But he felt bad enough and I didn't really want to point that out… Because even as annoying as his "detective time" could be, I had to admit I was kind of having fun… Yeah crazy I know, but after so many years it was like Cilan, Ash and me, were all on an adventure again.

The only thing was, I still didn't really understand why I couldn't sleep. But when I closed my eyes to try, well all I saw was everything that happened today replaying in my head. That wasn't the strange part though, It wasn't that I was worried or afraid of how things were going to turn out or if I was in any danger. Though maybe I should have been? But I wasn't...not really, I knew we could take care of ourselves. So what was keeping me up…?

I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as they could go and tried to think as hard as I could. But each time parts of today would just appear. From that worried look Cilan had given me back at the mansion to his ridiculous over the top speech trying to act like my ex boyfriend. It was all there streaming through my mind like it was on an endless loop. An endless loop of awkward. So I just popped my eyes back open as quickly as I could. And I guess there was my answer: I couldn't sleep with my eyes open, so I didn't sleep at all…

I sighed and slumped into my knees even more.

"Exca?

I jumped a little before turning to look to my right. I sighed and then grinned a little. "Oh, Excadrill, sorry, did I wake you inside of your pokeball?"

He didn't say anything at first, then he nodded slightly and sat down next to me.

I frowned a little. "Sorry I didn't mean too, I guess I just couldn't sleep…" He'd left his pokeball on his own before I knew, but I thought it was a little funny that he'd follow me out of the pokemon center now. Maybe because I wasn't really sure what to say to anybody, not even a friend I knew as well as him.

I twisted a blade of grass between my fingers. "Uh it's a nice night to be awake though, right?"

He looked up at the stars almost like he was considering it. But the stars were almost blacked out by all the lights, and I guess that's what Excadrill was thinking too, because he just shrugged.

I smiled weakly as I leaned into my hand. "Well yeah, I know it's not like back home, but it's still sort of nice, right? And," I said rushing in almost like I was trying to convince him. "It's where we first met Cilan so-"

But I didn't even bother finishing that, nope instead I just stretched out my legs and sighed. Looking over at him I tried to be honest. "I don't feel right either Excadrill… But I think my feeling weird is different from yours."

He looked at me with the same kind look he'd always had since we'd became friends, it made me know he was listening. Which I guess, is what I needed most right then…

"The thing is, I've felt weird since the first night we came back here to see Cilan. He's acted weird too, and I really don't get why. Then all this about the case happened, and now we're both caught up in who knows what!" I felt myself frown. "But that's not even the really strange part… At first I just wanted everything to be exactly how they were before, but after today...well I just don't know anymore."

"Excadrill…?" He asked softly and I knew just what he meant.

I sighed. "I don't really know what I mean by different either… But I guess I just think it wasn't as good before as I thought it was." I bit my lip and stared up at the dim stars. "I mean we haven't seen each other in over a year, and a phone call just isn't the same, but… But I don't even like it here otherwise? Cilan and me are practically from totally different worlds! It's almost a miracle that we even became friends in the first place…"

I knew I wanted to say more, but I was still amazed at how much I'd said already. How was I able to say things that I hadn't even been thinking?

"But what's even worse than all that is, well things do change… Pokemon evolve, and people grow up, that's just how life is. Nothing stays exactly the same, and I must be the real little kid for wanting to change all that…"

I didn't say anything else for awhile we both just sat there, until I felt him hug me from the side. Maybe that's what did it, feeling a friend so close, maybe that's why everything I didn't even know I'd bottled up, came out.

"Oh Excadrill!" I shouted as I buried my face in his shoulder. I hadn't meant to cry, but I did, and the funny thing was, well it felt okay. Almost like I was going to be too… Maybe like me and Cilan both were... Weird or not.

Excadrill didn't leave me for the rest of the night, I really appreciated him being there for me, because I didn't want to be alone. When morning came I had to practically convince him to go back into his pokeball.

"I'm fine now, really…" I said with a soft smile as I hugged him one more time.

"Drill…?"

I laughed a little. "Honest, I just need some breakfast is all."

"Ure?" Fraxure asked as he appeared in the center cafeteria, and waddled over to our table.

"Good morning Fraxure, did you sleep well?"

"Ure, ure!" He confirmed happily.

I smiled over at Excadrill one last time before holding up his pokeball. "Return…" I said softly as I watched one of my best friends disappear. But...well holding the ball close to my chest, I was just glad that he wasn't ever very far away…

Turning back to Fraxure I tried to put on my most cheerful face, even though, well I still didn't feel completely normal. "You want breakfast, right Fraxure?" I gestured toward the mostly untouched tray on our table, but he didn't look all that impressed.

"Frax…?"

I frowned a little. "Well yeah, I know it isn't how Cilan makes it but...well I thought we shouldn't bother him every morning with cooking for us."

Fraxure just stared at me as if I'd said something really dumb, and maybe I had, we both knew Cilan would rather cook than breathe air. But at the same time, I guess something was holding me back from going over there.

"Ure…?" Fraxure said with a worried tone as he tugged on my sleeve.

"Oh I'm fine, really…" I mumbled out, hoping it wasn't a lie. "But...uh I guess we could eat at the restaurant if you really want to…"

So I gave in, but Fraxure knew me as well as Excadrill, and it was obvious why neither of them were buying it when I said I was okay. In fact, the closer we got, the more it felt like my stomach was going to twist in knots. I wasn't sure if I wouldn't be able to eat anything at all, or if I'd want to eat _everything_ once I got there. That would have just been comfort eating, obviously. But things went a lot worse than I ever would have expected when I stepped in.

At a table in the corner Cilan's back was turned to us, but that wasn't the weird part. No, but who he was sitting with definitely was. I froze for a second before I crept to the kitchen door before he could hear us. Disappearing inside with Fraxure I narrowed my eyes as I stared out the little window on the door. He was laughing and talking, but...so was _she._

"Frax…?" Fraxure asked sounding confused.

I didn't blame him, I was too. But more than that I was...angry. Without thinking I reached over for a piece of fruit sitting in a basket to my right. In between bites I could feel the frown on my face growing. Who was she, and what was she doing here anyway? And they were...having coffee and macarons?

"A meal is an exchange of the heart, huh Cilan?" I mumbled annoyed.

"Ouch, is that the green eyed monster that I hear?"

Whipping around I saw Chili smirking at me with a flour stained apron on.

"Green eyed what?!" I snapped.

He held up his hands defensively before he laughed. "Jealous, I mean you're jealous."

"Oh please!" I said with a scowl. "Jealous of what?"

Chili sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Wow, you two really are impossible…" Then he looked up again. "How should I put this… Well, you're hiding behind a door scowling at Cilan and his 'unnamed female companion,' so it sounds pretty obvious what you're jealous of, right?"

"Whatever… It's not what it looks like." I mumbled out with my mouth mostly full.

Chili smiled. "Right, that's just what Cilan keeps telling me. Anyway, you might want to take it easy, the way you're eating that apple might just give you a stomachache."

"I'm hungry!" I shouted.

He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Oh come on Iris, you're not seriously worried about this random girl, are you?"

"I never said I was worried in the first place…" I said in a low growl.

He smiled. "Actions speak louder than words."

Finishing my apple, I tossed the core across the room, where it landed in the trash with a loud noise. "You know Chili," I said crossing my arms. "You've been hinting at something ever since I got here, so what's the deal, huh?"

He rolled his eyes and almost looked annoyed. "And _I'm_ the little kid?" Then pulling his apron off over his head, he walked to get some food for Fraxure. Then sitting the bowl down in front of him he patted his head. "There you go Fraxure, Cilan's signature blend."

"Ure!" He shouted happily as he dug in.

"And for you…" Chili said grabbing my wrist. "I need to show you something."

"Hey, where are we going?" I asked, as he drug me up the stairs adjacent to the kitchen.

"To Cilan's room." He answered simply.

"Why?" I shot right back.

"To answer your question." When he said that I admit I felt my heart drop. I wasn't stupid, I didn't really need him to answer me, I knew what he was hinting at. Maybe I just wanted to make him spell it out for me, because I didn't believe it at all. Almost like I'd feel better if could just tell him he was completely wrong. But now...now if he was going to try and show me some sort of evidence then… Then maybe I didn't want to see it.

Twisting open the door to Cilan's bedroom Chili gesture for me to step in. I hesitated. "Isn't it rude to just bust in like this?"

He rolled his eyes and looked at me deadpan. "Either that or I'll just push you in."

"You don't have to get mad…" I mumbled as I stepped in against my will. Even as close as Cilan and I were, I'd never actually seen his room. But just as expected it was incredibly neat without a single thing out of place. Hanging on the wall was a plaque with his S class connoisseur rating proudly displayed. I remembered when he'd told me he'd earned his next rank, he was so happy… And in another corner was his special spice rack that he'd mentioned in a letter once. I'd told him it sounded just like something he'd have, but secretly I thought it was hilariously weird to keep spices in your bedroom.

"Look at this." Chili said pointing to his desk. I hesitantly stepped a little closer and saw what he was pointing at. But it was just a picture, of the three of us, Ash, Cilan and me.

"What about it?" I asked shrugging. I felt a little relieved that this was all he was talking about, because having a picture of your friends wasn't strange, and it didn't prove anything.

"I mean, it's just what you'd expect, right? It's the kind of things friends have. But…"

I frowned at that last word. "But what?"

"But this desk isn't Cilan's favorite spot." Chili said as he walked over to a chair sitting beside the only window in his room. "He likes sitting by the window, right here." Chili sat down seeming so smug you would have thought this really did make his point.

"You're acting really weird, Chili." I said crossing my arms again.

He just smiled and faced forward in the chair. "And from here it gives me a perfect view of the window, or should I say the windowsill."

My eyes drifted over to what he was talking about as he said it. But what I wasn't expecting was what I saw… In a little frame, sitting there was another picture. It was a picture of me. I didn't even remember exactly when I'd taken it, but it looked from about two or three years ago. Then it hit me. "Oh from that picnic…" Ash and me had went with Cilan, it was one of last times it had been the three of us until recently.

"But why…?" I asked softly as I looked down at it. "Why _just_ me…?"

Chili raised his eyebrows as if to ask if I was stupid or just dense.

I shook my head and turned to face the wall, if just to hide how red my face felt. "We're just friends, we always have been… That's just the way it is."

He sighed and stood up. "Yeah, yeah, I know I hear it from Cilan all the time too, but it just seems weird to me. And believe it or not, I'm just worried about you guys...okay…?"

"Well thanks for that...but...You don't have to worry, alright?" I mumbled out, and it was almost all I could do to say anything.

Chili ran his hand through his red hair before he shrugged with a weak smile. "Maybe Cress is right and I should just mind my own business?"

I turned to face him and did my best to smirk. "You? Yeah like that's possible…"

His smile got bigger and he shrugged again. "What can I say? I just believe that life is best lived directly." He balled his fist. "Like an offensive attack!"

It was funny, when it came to that lovestruck cottonee we'd met I'd said basically the same thing, but now… I just couldn't think about it, not right now… So I followed Chili down the stairs and almost jumped when I saw Cilan refilling Fraxure's bowl.

"Oh there you both are?" He said as he looked up at us with a confused look.

"Yeah here we are bro," Chili said casually as he folded his arms behind his head. Then he smirked. "So, how'd your breakfast date go?"

Cilan frowned suddenly before standing and nervously straightening his bowtie. He smiled awkwardly. "It was hardly a date, Chili, I was simply giving an evaluation. The young woman had requested it last night when she was dining in, but I was rather exhausted after the day's events, so I asked her to come back this morning."

"Oh well that's boring…" Chili whined pretending to be disappointed. Then he smiled. "You didn't happen to get her number, she was pretty cute?"

Cilan laughed a little, but still seemed mostly awkward. "No I can't say that I did, I'm sorry Chili."

He shrugged. "That's the breaks I guess."

"Anyway I…" Cilan started to say, but I cut him off before I even thought it through.

"So it was just an evaluation?"

Cilan blinked at me before nodding. "Yes, what else would it be?"

I frowned as I stared into the floor. "Um nothing I guess…"

"Her pokemon were very well paired, but I recommended she expand her moveset to add in a new layer of flavor to her battles."

"Sounds like a good plan." I said awkwardly before I reached for another piece apple and took a nervous bite.

Cilan laughed a little. "I thought you'd be hungry, but don't ruin your appetite, I have a special tart in the oven."

"Specially for me…?" I said suddenly feeling a little brighter.

He nodded and grinned. "Why yes, I know how you love oran berries so I-"

Chili coughed into his hand and we both turned to look at him. He shrugged, pretending to be innocent, before I frowned at him and he smirked his way out the door. But no sooner had he left Ash came pushing through with a worried look on his face.

"Why Ash, what's the matter?" Cilan asked.

He frowned. "I ran into Officer Jenny on the way over, she said she wanted to talk with you two guys."

"About the case?" I said almost wishing I hadn't called it that. But I did see Cilan's eyes twinkle a little when I did. He was probably glad I was getting into the spirit of things or something.

"Was she coming over as well?" Cilan asked as the three of us walked back into the dining room.

"Yeah I think so." But that was pretty obvious because within a second or two she was stepping in the front door herself.

"Oh good, I was hoping I'd find you."

"We'll help however we can." Cilan said stepping forward.

Officer Jenny sighed. "I'm usually one for letting the police force handle it's own business, but nothing about this ordeal is adding up to me or my men. There's been another break in, this time at a small antique exhibition last night."

"What was stolen?" I asked.

Officer Jenny narrowed her eyes. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing…."

Before I could even blink Cilan was reaching to slip his hat on and heading for the door. "Make sure no one tampers with any of the evidence at the scene of the crime." He said toward Jenny.

"We'll head over right now!"

I just sighed as I followed him out without even questioning. My head was spinning and if there was one thing I _was_ absolutely sure about, it was that I _wasn't_ sure about anything.

I just _wished_ I'd gotten a whole lot more sleep last night…

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favorites and of course just the reads! You rock! Stick around for more very soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 (Iris' POV)

"Hmmm…" Was all Cilan said. But the problem was he had said it about a hundred times already. Officer Jenny had showed us the surveillance recording of the break in, or uh teleport in. Just like we figured before, old eyepatch just appeared with his abra. But the weird part was what happened next. He didn't move anywhere, just looked over to the left then right, then after about two minutes he disappeared all together.

I'm gonna be honest, I wanted to solve this whole thing, but considering the day I'd been having so far, I wanted to go to bed more.

"Hmmm…" And then he said it again.

"Uh Cilan…" I mumbled trying not to lose it completely.

He stepped away from the video monitor and trailed down the hall. I guess me and Officer Jenny didn't have any choice but to follow him. He walked into the exhibition room, ducked under the police tape and then knelt down to stare at the floor. I just sighed. I knew it would be pretty pointless to even bother asking what he was doing or thinking. He examined the carpet, sniffed the air, then ran his finger along a dusty ledge of one of the antique tables.

"Hmmm…" He mumbled before doing the whole routine all over again on the other side of the room.

The only good news, was that I figured he'd have figured something out once he got done. I guess Officer Jenny was hoping the same thing, but that's what we get for hoping… When he was finally done he stood up straight and looked over at us with a weak smile. It was sort of that look you get when you're sincerely sorry you just ate the last cookie.

"Well, I can certainly understand why this break in was such a mystery to you and your men." Jenny just nodded and waited for him to go on.

He raised his index finger, and I knew that meant he was about to ramble on about some speck of dust that gave the whole thing away. But as fast as he'd raised his hand he curled it back into a fist and dropped it to his side. "Because I'm afraid I'm at quite the loss as well."

"You're kidding me, right?" I said as I buried my head in my hands. Then looking up at him again, I sighed. Annoying or not I really couldn't stand seeing him look so disappointed in himself. "But hey," I quickly added in to try and cover for what I said before. "There isn't really anything to find, this eyepatch guy is just too weird. How could anybody figure him out?"

Yeah I know it was a lame excuse, but at least I tried to make him feel better. Not that he did from the look on his face. Because he didn't say anything.

"Well I thank you for your effort anyway, Cilan." Officer Jenny said with a nod before she turned to start talking with one of the other officers standing around.

It didn't take being empathic to tell that he was depressed. His face was hanging like he'd got a bad dinner review or something else to offend his connoisseur-ness.

"I just don't understand it…" He finally said in almost a whisper, when were walking back to the restaurant.

"Well that makes two of us." I said frowning.

"Every crime has a motive…"

I glanced over at him. "Look, you've probably just overthinking it. Go cook something or whatever and it'll probably come to you."

He smiled a little. "I hope you're right Iris, but I'm afraid this case might be getting the best of me…"

I sighed. "Well to be honest, I wouldn't mind if the whole thing just disappeared like that guy and his abra, I have enough to think about as it is…"

"Oh?" Cilan asked suddenly seeming interested in something besides that musty antique store.

I frowned and stared at the ground. "It's nothing."

When he didn't say anything else I stole a peep over at him, and saw that he was staring at the ground too. The only difference was I knew he was probably just overthinking the case. Footprints and hidden clues were a lot easier than the mystery I had on my mind though. Even if Chili seemed to think they weren't all that different. Like one picture on a windowsill would somehow solve the case. Life wasn't like that though… Things just weren't.

The silence could have been awkward, but I knew how lost in thought Cilan probably was anyway, so it didn't matter. And I guess I would have been okay with it staying quiet the whole rest of the way. But the thing was, now that the immediate business with officer Jenny was over… Well it felt weird. Do friends not see each other in over a year, then just pick back up like it's normal? Like nothing's wrong? Was something wrong with that? Cilan had been the one worried that our phone calls weren't enough, or at least that I might be upset with him for always being so busy. But why should I care? Because we're friends? Friends were the people you could be your complete self around. The people you felt comfortable with. You could laugh and cry, and even act stupid sometimes and still know that they'd love you anyway.

That described Cilan and me for sure, it always had. Or at least most of the time, but lately the comfortable part was a hit and miss. Not that that wasn't my fault! It was Chili and everything else making me think such weird stuff. All that about change and growing up and… And maybe me? I felt myself frown even harder.

What if it wasn't just Chili, what if it was me? Me and everything I was feeling, that was making things so hard? I just wanted to see him again, that's why I came in the first place. But I wanted to see Ash too...though maybe it wasn't exactly the same thing? I didn't want to be dense, but I almost couldn't make myself think it.

To face the fact that I might be falling in love with him…

I used to feel like I almost knew everything, like I got things that Ash didn't, but right now… Now I wasn't too sure if I was any less a kid than he was. I'd never been in love, I knew that much. But from everything I'd ever heard, and all the broken hearts I'd watched other people suffer, I'd learned one thing for sure… You don't ever fall in love with your best friend. But what had I been expecting when my two best friends were both guys? I had double the chance of messing up everything.

And now maybe I had…?

I wasn't sure when I'd settled on love making me hungry, but the trend was certainly keeping up. Because right then and there, in the middle of all my important and dramatic thoughts, I heard my stomach growl.

I looked up hesitantly at Cilan and he just smiled. "I forgot you haven't had breakfast yet."

I was thinking that actually, I'd eaten a few apples in a jealous rage, but I figured I'd just skip that. So I nodded, knowing it was in principle true. But like he'd read my mind and was suddenly struck with the same realization I was, his face went a few shades paler.

"What is it?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

He frowned, and I half expected him to start reciting all the reasons we'd be better off just staying friends. Heck, I was ready to agree with him, but that isn't what happened at all.

"The tart! I left it in the oven!"

Oh boy… I could picture the gym in flames and a whole herd of Oshawott trying in vain to put it out. Not to mention Chili never letting us live down why it had happened. I could hear it all now, our "love tart" destroyed the Striaton gym. So...needless to say we ran the rest of the way, but when we got closer things were strangely quiet, I mean considering a fire should have been raging.

Cilan raced over and threw the door open like he was the lead in a superhero flick. But all we saw was Ash and Chili staring up from their plates with blue smudges on their faces. "Didn't think you'd be back so soon so…" Chili mumbled with a smirk.

"You both ate it didn't you?" I said with a deadpan expression.

Ash scooted a little farther away from the empty tart tin before rubbing at the back of his head. "Sorry, but Chili offered me and Pikachu a slice so…"

"Oh just forget it…" I mumbled slapping my forehead.

Cilan smiled weakly. "Well at least it didn't go to waste. Iris and I can just have an early lunch instead I suppose."

Chili winked. "Great idea bro, after all a meal is an extrange of the heart."

I cringed before glaring at Chili. "Do you know the meaning of homicide?"

Ash just blinked like he was clueless, which he probably was, thankfully. Meanwhile Chili laughed. "Hey Cilan, I'd watch out for your detective partner, I think she might be the real plot twist in this case."

Cilan smiled. "Well, Iris can get a bit irritable when she skips meals."

"I do not!" I snapped at him, wondering how long he'd been thinking that. Then I sighed and crossed my arms. "Is that why you're always cooking for me…? So I won't bite your head off or something?"

Cilan laughed a little nervously and tugged at his bowtie. "No of course not, Iris, it was just a small observation…"

"Whatever…" I said giving up and slumping into a chair next to Ash. Reaching for another piece of fruit that was sitting in a bowl on the table, I took a big bite. Sometimes you just have to take the direct approach to food…

Cilan just smiled again and reached for his pokeball to call out Pansage. Then kneeling in front of him he spoke gently. "Would you mind helping me make lunch, Pansage? I know you like to help me cut the vegetables."

"Pansage!"

After that they both disappeared into the kitchen which just left me with Ash and Chili. Which was probably a dangerous combo in the first place... "So how'd it go with Officer Jenny?" Ash asked in between bites of his own apple.

I shrugged. "Cilan couldn't figure it out."

"Even Cilan's stumped?" Chili asked almost like he didn't believe it.

"Yeah I guess so. But I mean the case is so crazy, how can he not be? The guy didn't even touch anything, he just warped in, looked around and was gone. Just like that." I said snapping.

Chili frowned. "Still if Cilan can't figure it out…" Then he smirked. "You sure you're not too big a distraction to him?"

"You'll notice I'm ignoring that." I said to Ash without even looking at Chili. "Anyway, like I told him, he's probably just overthinking it. He'll have some clue hit him right out of the blue."

No sooner than I'd got out the last word, the kitchen door came swinging open and Cilan darted out.

"I have it!" He shouted.

Chili looked over at me and frowned. "Look I'm the one trying to get you two together, but if you start finishing each other's sentences next, I'm gonna leave. That would just be way too gross."

Staring down at Fraxure who had been quietly following us, I pointed toward Chili. "Dragon rage!"

"Ure…?" He said blinking in confusion.

"I don't know why I didn't see it earlier!" Cilan said as he tugged coolly on his cufflink, completely ignoring that I was about to strangle his brother. Which was probably a good thing...

"The answer was right under my nose!"

"How is that?" Cress asked calmly as he followed Cilan out of the kitchen with a vase full of flowers in his hand. I figured he was taking it to a table, but before he could Cilan plucked one of the flowers out by the stem.

"Smell this!" He said reaching it to me.

I took a big sniff before looking up at him. "It's really great Cilan, but what does that-"

"This was the only out of place scent at the scene of the crime. The rare rosadenia flower is only found in one spot in Striaton city. A garden just outside the Belle Van gourmet restaurant!"

"And uh...here I guess…?" I said still not really getting it.

"But of course!" He said gesturing wildly. "They've been Cress' favorite flower since our boyhood, so he is always sure to order them when in season. But since the culprit couldn't have been in our restaurant moments before the break in, then he must have been near the Belle Van gardens! The scent was still lingering on him when he teleported into the antique store!"

"Yeah…" I said slowly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Of course it does, the aroma is unmistakable. Which means a fresh clue could be at the Belle Van. And I already have a plan to find it!"

"Figures…" I mumbled with a smile. He always got so excited…

"Ash, I'll need your help too."

"Sure, I'll do whatever." He said with a nod.

"You'll need to keep a watch outside the restaurant. The criminal is already aware of Iris and I, but he's never seen you in connection with this case. With you stationed outside, we'll go inside as dinner guests, and our presence may flush him out."

"Wait…?" I asked rubbing my chin. "How do we know he's still gonna be there even if he was before? And if the flowers were here too, then are you sure _you_ just didn't carry the smell to the antique place?"

"Some things are simply a matter of instinct!" Cilan said cheerfully. Yeah like a little kid in a candy store…

I didn't want to discourage him, but this plan sounded sort of like a stretch. But he sure seemed to think it would work. "I'll go make the reservation now!" With that he was out the door and none of us had a chance to say anything else about it.

Chili leaned into his hand, soundly sincerely curious. "Hey Iris, you don't think this is just his way of asking you out, is it?"

Looking back down at Fraxure I pointed toward Chili again. Completely calm.

"Draco meteor."

Well as things turned out, Cilan was stubborn enough to go through with his plan. Not that that was any real surprise. But I have to say it was getting kind of ironic. After everything that had happened today, all the crazy stuff Chili had said, and everything I was thinking myself, here I was in a fancy dress about to walk into a gourmet restaurant on Cilan's arm. It was all just a bit too much... So I guess that's why I was actually trying to focus on the mission, to remind myself that we were just undercover, that none of it was real. Right?

"You listen to Ash and help out where you can, okay Fraxure?" I said as I patted him on the snout.

"Ure ure!"

I smiled. "I know you'll be great."

"And you be careful too, Ash." Cilan added in.

Ash gave us a thumbs up. "No problem, I totally got this." Then they disappeared into a bush, and it was just the two of us, or at least it seemed that way to anyone looking.

Cilan turned to me with a small confident smile before he offered me the crook of his arm. Oh boy, here we go…

So I took a deep breath before nodding and looping my arm in his. I wasn't exactly somebody that knew a lot about fancy edicate, but I'd seen enough TV to get the basic idea. Not that that meant I'd be any good at it. Because from what I saw, it basically had to do with looking frail and helpless. Just thinking about that was annoying enough to make me almost forget about feeling awkward around Cilan. Almost.

But one thing was for sure, Cilan looked like he was exactly in his element. Which wasn't surprising considering I could only name a handful of times that I _hadn't_ seen him in formal. But believe it or not, if it was possible for him to get "more formal" well he had. The funny thing was, fancy people never seem to do anything for themselves, because there was even some guy ready to open the door for us.

"Why thank you, my good man." Cilan said as we passed. It was obvious from his tone that the dramatic flair was already starting. Why was I even shocked?

But I didn't know what I'd been thinking before, but now it was hitting me. Everyone would recognize us both, he was the gym leader and a famous chef, and I was the region Champion. If anything I could already hear the gears of the rumor mill turning. And I was pretty right, because when we stepped in most of the eyes in the dining hall landed on us. I smiled, but I wasn't sure if I should have just looked indifferent instead? What character was I supposed to be going for anyway?

Well before I had any more time to worry about it some fancy guy with coattails and a thin mustache ushered us to a table. The waiter/restaurant butler guy pulled out Cilan's seat and then Cilan pulled out mine and waited for me to sit down before he push it in. Then when Cilan sat down the waiter guy pushed his in. It made me wonder if this was a never ending cycle, with always having some else pull out the next chair? Who pulled out the waiter's seat? But then I figured he never sat down in the first place.

When he disappeared and it was Cilan and me I glanced around before giving into a sigh. I didn't see any people with eyepatches that was for sure. Which meant this would probably just be _another_ awkward fake date. Two in a row, just great… I peeped over the menu at Cilan. Though admittedly, this one had to be a lot better than the last one.

I sat down my menu and sighed again before looking straight at him. "Hey, Cilan, do I look as out of place as I feel?" No matter what Chili said, he was still my best friend and I just wanted to be comfortable with that. With just talking the way we always did.

He didn't say anything at first, it looked like he was thinking. "You do seem a bit nervous, I'd say." He smiled softly. "But I wouldn't call you out of place." He hesitated for a second and then reached to straightened his bowtie. "When people dine in a gourmet restaurant they always try to look their very best. So why would you feel out of place by that definition tonight?"

I narrowed my eyes at him a little. It took me a second, but I got the feeling he was complimenting me in a roundabout way. So I went out on a limb and thanked him, hoping I'd understood that right. "Thanks but… That's not really what I mean…"

"Oh?" Was all he said as his eyebrows raised slightly.

I nodded, and surprisingly felt almost everything I was thinking, feeling, come close to slipping right out my month. "You can dress up a pokemon to make it look nice. I've even heard they have whole contests like that in some places. But… If you put pretty things on a haxorus does it really change that it's a wild pokemon at heart?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure I understand…"

I huffed a frustrated sigh. "I don't think I do either…"

He looked like he was about to say something else, but right then the waiter came back and asked for our drinks. Cilan asked for a special year of wine, and I just nodded along hoping I could ask for water later. When he'd left I was kind of hoping Cilan would just forget about what I'd said, but he didn't. Nope, instead he looked at me with a sincere face.

"As I'm sure you know better than anyone, haxorus are known for their kind disposition. I was always somewhat surprised by that, but that was before I met your axew." He smiled when he said his name, and I could tell that he meant almost as much to Cilan as he did to me. "Because when I got to see first hand I realized that though they possess amazing power, their greatest strength is in their kind and loyal heart. Which of course, is something that remains the same even after evolution." He grinned a little, but didn't quite laugh. "So though it is a bit of a funny thought to contemplate, I don't see why a pokemon like a haxorus shouldn't appear as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside."

I smiled a little. Torn somewhere between wanting to laugh along with him, and just sit and think about what he'd said. I was still figuring it out, but almost right away I felt better.

"Though," he added in with a slightly awkward look. "Even as amazing of a pokemon as they are, I can't completely agree with you calling yourself one. You're a young woman, and that's quite a bit different, I'd say."

I smirked down at the table for a second. I should have been more nervous than ever, considering everything that had happened today, but instead… Instead I just suddenly felt more comfortable than ever. So I looked back up at him and nodded with a little smile. "Yeah, that makes sense, but you know Cilan, sometimes I still feel as silly as a haxorus in a fancy dress."

He looked over at me and I looked back until our eyes met. For a second neither of us said anything, we just looked, almost like we had never looked before, like this was the first time we'd seen each other in a long time. And maybe in a lot of ways it was… But then I watched as a soft smile drifted onto his face and I returned it until we both broke out laughing. Laughing so hard we were probably standing out in this snobby place. But I knew we couldn't help it, because we were picturing it, a haxorus in a dress, and it was just too funny not to laugh at.

So even though I'd meant to be serious at first, it really felt better just to laugh at it. To let it all go. When we finally stopped laughing the waiter was back to take our order. Well I couldn't figure out what any of the stuff on the menu actually was, so I just took all of Cilan's recommendations, and they turned out pretty good, though not like he'd make them, of course. So for the rest of the evening we just talked, talked and laughed and it didn't really feel awkward at all. It was almost like we were finally being ourselves.

To be honest I kind of forgot all about the case, and if I didn't know better I'd think he did too. And I really didn't mind, if I wanted to be even more honest. But it was getting pretty late and we were almost the last table in the restaurant, so we got up and finally left. When we made it out on the sidewalk the stars were already out, or at least the ones you could see in the city. But the thing was, well even the dim lights looked pretty bright tonight, so I just smiled up at them. Or at least until I almost jumped when we heard something rustle out of a bush beside us.

"Guys…" Came Ash's weak voice as he looked up at us with a weary sigh. I'd actually forgot Ash was out here… He crawled out on his hands and knees with a sad Pikachu and Fraxure waddling out behind him. "Did something happen, why were you so long…?" He asked with a frown.

I glanced at Cilan who looked back at me with an awkward grin. Something told me he'd forgot all about Ash too.

"Our apologies, Ash, but I think we lost track of the time."

Ash slumped his shoulders before holding his stomach. "Oh man, I'm so hungry…"

"Ure…"

"Pi pikachu…"

"Oh Fraxure, I'm so sorry, you must be starving!" I said as I bent down to hug him close to me.

"Well I wouldn't mind making a late night snack for you all when we get back, it's the least I can do to thank you for your assistance." Cilan said sounding energized just by the thought of cooking.

"That sounds great!" Ash beamed, before frowning again. "But I don't think we did much…? We didn't see anything."

Cilan rubbed at his chin almost like he was embarrassed. "Yes, I'm afraid my theory might have been a bit farfetched after all…"

"Imagine that…" I mumbled with a smirk.

But no sooner than I'd gotten the words out of my mouth something happened to close it. From across the street we heard an engine startup, so we narrowed our eyes to see what we could by the light of the moon and streetlight. It shouldn't have been strange to see a car leaving a hotel, no matter how late it was, but this wasn't an ordinary car, it was a long black limo. It pulled up in front of the main doors and then a guy got out to open the back car doors, from the way he was standing at attention I figured he was the chauffeur.

But what I saw next almost made my stomach twist. Walking out the hotel lobby toward the limo was old Slick himself. We were across the street but still, I shoved Ash and Cilan back into the bush on instinct. "Get down!" I whispered before hopping in after them. Then just poking out my head enough to see I stared back over toward the hotel. Cilan's head popped out next to me and did the same. I just heard Ash moan something about hating being back in here again.

Not that Slick could ever win any personality awards in the first place, but from the look on his face he looked really annoyed tonight. He was stomping toward the open door of his limo when somebody else came running out after him from inside the lobby.

It was another guy, but he didn't have blond hair or an eyepatch, instead his hair was brown, and from what I could see he was in kind of ragged clothes for the hotel he was staying at. I couldn't make out what all they were saying, but the conversation ended when Slick slammed his car door in the other guy's face. Yeah, same old friendly Slick…

We ducked a little lower when the limo pulled out and rolled past us, but afterward we looked up again and saw the other guy still standing in the parking lot. He balled his fists than looked down and shook his head before walking back into the lobby. When he was gone and we were alone again we all stepped out of the bush and tried to brush the leaves off of us.

"So what was that all about…?" Ash asked as he straightened his hat.

Cilan looked like he was thinking hard before he crossed his arms. "That was Mr. Rigford from the gala. He read the same book in the library as our eyepatched burglar, A Tale of Relics. And he planted a tracking device on Iris. Hmm… I don't have any doubt that he's connected to all of this somehow…"

Cilan turned around and looked at the Belle Van garden we were standing on the edge of. The rosadenia were in full bloom just like he'd said before. And right across the street Slick was up to who knows what…

"I guess you were right after all, huh Cilan?" I said with a shrug.

He smiled a little. "Nearly, but I was a little off, the man with the eyepatch must have come through the gardens before teleporting to the antique store yes, but he came from the hotel across the street I'd guess."

"So what do we do now?" I asked putting my hands on my hips.

"We'll need to figure out who that other man was that Mr. Rigford was speaking so rudely with. I'd say it's no coincidence that the two were together." Cilan rubbed at his chin. "But a stake out so late at night might not produce results in this case… It might be better to come back tomorrow morning, though...we risk our suspect disappearing by then…"

I yawned right on cue. "Maybe so, but I think I'm willing to risk it, I've gotta get some sleep tonight."

Cilan nodded hesitantly. "Right, well I suppose we could come back tomorrow…"

"Yeah," Ash said patting his rumbling stomach. "I really gotta eat something too."

Cilan smiled. "Alright, let's go then."

What a day… I couldn't help but think about how just last night I'd been up talking to Excadrill because nothing made sense to me. Well in a lot of ways things still didn't make any sense. The case was just getting more and more complicated, and confusing. And to be honest, things weren't all that different with Cilan. But...still I didn't have any trouble falling asleep that night. I knew it was probably just because I was even more exhausted than before. But even so it was a little weird… Mostly because when I closed my eyes I still saw everything replaying. But this time I just kept my eyes shut, yeah and let myself remember it all.

So right before I went to sleep, well...I wasn't really _wishing_ anything at all...

 **Thanks for the reviews! Love to hear from you guys! Stick around for more soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 (Iris' POV)

"So...exactly how long are we going to be out here...in a bush?" I mumbled while I tried to ignore the stick poking me in the back. I never had any issues with being in nature, but this was even getting to me…

"You can't rush a stakeout, Iris." Cilan whispered back. "The criminal mind is tricky, and it may take time for our suspect to betray himself…"

"Great…" I moaned with a sigh.

Then next to me I heard Ash's stomach growl. "Oh sorry guys…" He whispered scratching at the side of his face.

I shook my head. "Cilan it's not that I want to question what you're doing but… Wouldn't it be better to just get a room, so we could look around the hotel ourselves? Why would this guy who knows Slick just suddenly walk out in the parking lot? He could not leave at all today."

He didn't say anything for a second then he hummed. "Hmm...perhaps...but everyone knows I'm the local gym leader, my getting a hotel room in my own home town could raise suspicion."

Somehow I got the feeling no one was paying any attention to the crazy people hiding in a bush to begin with, but the way Cilan put it we were under constant surveillance… I was really starting to think he was getting paranoid. I sighed again, but did my best not to lose patience with him.

"What if Ash rents the room? No one would suspect him, right? Then we could all use the room like a home base, and…" I narrowed my eyes realizing this entire plan sounded ridiculous. "Hang around the ice machine until the 'suspect' shows?"

"That plan could work, Iris…" He said thinking hard. "But a hotel of this caliber would only have room service. Thus no self-serve ice, or vending machines."

I frowned and rolled my eyes. Why was he being so difficult? "Okay so...what do you suggest?"

I watched as a slow smile spread across his face. "Trusting in the virtue of patience will bring it's own reward, Iris."

I sunk back down and gave into all the sticks poking me. Something told me this was going to be a very long day… Another hour went by, and I was beginning to think it was a competition between whether mine or Ash's stomach would growl louder. Cilan was still the picture of posed patience, but I was one hair away from losing my mind and screaming. I knew that wouldn't do much for our cover, but I figured Cilan deserved our cover being blown after this.

"Hello, earth to Cilan, it's been four hours." I said suddenly waving my hand in front of his face.

He just smiled. "Which is exactly how long it took for our suspect to arrive. Look over there!" He said pointing with an excited whisper.

"Whoa, there's the guy from last night!" Ash added in.

I squinted and tried to stand in spite of my obviously low blood sugar. There was no way I was letting Cilan handle this, if Chili was _ever_ right about anything, it was that some things needed a direct approach.

"Hey can I talk to you for a second!" I said with a wave as I jogged over to the so called 'suspect.' One glance over my shoulder told me that Cilan was horrified by this tactic, but I happened to think it might just work. Everyone was always bugging me for dates or autographs when I just wanted to be treated like a normal person, so maybe now I could use it to my advantage. Maybe this suspect guy was a fan or something.

"M-Me?" He said turning and pointing to himself. Then when he saw me his eyes got big and he frowned and looked toward the ground. He had messy brown hair, big glasses and a slightly crooked neck tie. The suit he was wearing looked like it had been nice once, or at least before it was slept in for a week straight. But I wasn't trying to be mean, it was just, as Cilan would say, an observation. And the most noticeable thing was how shy he seemed. Definitely nothing like Slick.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could help me with something?" I said with a friendly smile.

He looked up at me, but was still frowning a little. Then he glanced to the left, then right, almost like he was a nervous wreck.

"You're the champion, aren't you…?" He hesitantly asked.

"Yeah, but my friends call me Iris." I said with a nod.

"Look…" He said abruptly. "I want to help, but I can't talk here… Meet me at the coffee shop on the corner of Fifth and Juniper."

Before I could say anything else he scurried off like he was scared to death. I just stood there for a second or two watching him leave, until he disappeared around a corner. Then I shrugged and walked back over to Cilan and Ash.

"Iris…" Cilan started to say with a mournful look that made it seem like I kicked lillipups in my spare time. "The detective process must be handled with gentle subtlety and-"

"And I just got a big lead." I said with an admittedly smug look.

"Really, what'd he say?" Ash asked looking surprised.

I smirked. "He recognized me, and said he wants to help us out. He told me to meet him at the coffee shop on the corner of Fifth and Juniper so we can talk more."

"Strange…" Cilan said still frowning. "Why would he be so willing to help us, he was a major criminal suspect…?"

I almost laughed. "Because working with Slick or whatever, would reform anybody. He makes Team Rocket almost seem not annoying."

"I suppose so… But what if it's a trap…?" Cilan asked without losing the doom and gloom vibe.

I folded my arms. "Then I'll just dragon rage Slick's butt once and for all, and be done with this whole mess. Anyway, I wasn't gonna go by myself, after all," I grinned. "You're the detective, right?"

He smiled weakly and adjusted his cap. "Well, I would feel better that way."

I waved my hands dismissively. "No problem, we'll all go for that matter. Now come on Fraxure," I said looking over my shoulder at him. "I'm starving!"

"Ure ure!" He shouted agreeing.

Cilan sighed as he and Ash fell in step beside us. "Well...we have quite different methods, but results are results all the same, I suppose..."

I winked up at him. "Yep, spoken like a true connoisseur."

When we made it to the coffee shop I could see the guy sitting in a corner nervously sipping a cup of coffee. Well I figured ordering something might help us blend in better, but regardless, it was either that or pass out any second. And Ash was definitely agreeing with me about that. So after getting a latte and about two pasties each, I walked matter of factly over to our 'suspects' table.

Cilan still looked like a spoil sport, but I figured he'd get over it once we got the questioning underway. When the three of us sat down the suspect cringed a little and looked back and forth between us.

"Who's he?" He said gesturing toward Ash.

"A friend, don't worry about it." I said reassuringly between bites. Then I jerked a thumb toward Cilan. "And so is he, so we're good, you can go on."

The guy sighed and straightened his glasses. "I know who he is…" He looked over at Cilan. "You're one of the Striaton gym leaders, right?"

"That's right, I am." Cilan answered with a nod.

"I've seen the two of you in the papers." He bit his lip. "You know ever since the near accident..."

"You mean with the stolen car, right?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. And it seems like you've been showing up everywhere since then... At the gala, then the antique shop. It was all in the paper this morning… But Mr. Rigford is on to what you're trying to do. He figures you must know something about the relic lore."

I glanced at Cilan but didn't say anything. I wasn't too sure how this investigation game went, but I thought it was better not to show our cards too early. So I just let him go on, but Cilan spoke up.

"Who exactly is Mr. Rigford to you?"

"My boss…" He said sadly. "You see I'm an engineer. My name is Lukas. The prototype that was stolen was my design."

"Oh you mean the electric car?" Cilan asked. "Does that mean Mr. Rigford is the one responsible for your funding?"

Lukas nodded. "Yes…" Then he frowned and almost looked angry. "But he said he won't interfere with my invention or research! But really... all he wants to do is push me around to try and get what he wants for his company."

"Hmm…" Cilan mumbled. "Before you mentioned the relic lore? Are you referring to the novel 'A Tale of Relics'?"

Lukas nodded again. "Yes, though Mr. Rigford doesn't think it's just a novel, he keeps thinking the artifacts it mentions are real. Don't you know about it already?"

Cilan grinned awkwardly. "Not as much as you might believe…"

"Well either way, I don't know anything about books like that, I'm an engineer not a writer, or archaeologist. My boss keeps blaming me because my electric engines aren't efficient enough... But I don't know what else to do… He believes in stories more than anything else…"

"Lukas…" Cilan said calmly before he smiled over at me slightly. "Sometimes the greatest source of scientific inspiration can be found in an artistic context. Different methods, and opposite concepts can often be quite complementary."

I smiled to myself. Point taken, thanks Cilan…

"But why is your boss so interested in 'A Tale of Relics' in particular? Does it deal with a subject that might pertain to his business interest?"

Lukas shrugged. "Maybe I don't know, I've never read it, but it's all he talks abouts. And with all these break ins, like at the gala and the antique shop, he thinks someone else is after something important. Something that has to do with that novel I guess… You see ever since the prototype was stolen and then the same man was reported in those other instances, well he thinks someone is after hidden secrets. He thinks you all have something to do with it too. That's why I wanted to talk to you, to try and get answers about why he's so interested in a novel?"

Cilan sighed. "I'm afraid we won't be that much help, we are full of unanswered questions too. I'm familiar with the basic plot of that novel, and the history of its author, but I'm afraid that's as far as my knowledge goes."

"So... you don't know either… Not about this thief breaking in either?"

Cilan shook his head. "No I'm afraid not, but we are trying to find out. You see I'm a private detective of sorts, and I've taken this case under my investigation."

Lukas nodded nervously. "Well I hope you find something out soon, so maybe Mr. Rigford will go back to normal. He's so uptight and suspicious lately…"

"We'll do our best Lukas, we can assure you of that." Cilan said with a nod.

"Okay...great… Then I should probably be getting back to the hotel, I have to meet Mr. Rigford later and I wouldn't want him to know I spoke with you, he hardly trusts me as it is..." Before we could say anything else Lukas got up and left, just as nervous as ever.

"Wow, he sounded pretty upset…" Ash said with a frown.

"Indeed…" Cilan agreed with a nod. "I can't be sure, but I feel like he's telling the truth. Or at least as best as he knows what the truth is…"

"Well," I said finishing my last bite of pastry. "One thing is for sure, Slick sounds like a real jerk to work for. But no surprises there, right?"

Cilan rubbed at his chin. "Yes… I think my next move would be to read this 'Tale of Relics' for myself. In the light of the case it might make some sense. Then maybe I can revisit the antique shop and try to find a connection. But at the very least this does give us some insight into Mr. Rigford's motives and character. He seems suspicious and desperate... Hmm…"

"Don't forget creepy." I added in with a smirk.

He smiled slightly. "Right, but I think he might be more involved with the stolen prototype and break ins than Lukas is aware. Only time, and further investigation will tell though."

I stood and stretched. "Fair enough, but I think the last thing I wanna do right now is sit still doing anything. I've gotta limber up after being stuck in that bush for hours."

Cilan smiled. "Understandable, you always enjoyed being active."

"Hey you and Flexure could practice with me and Pikachu!" Ash suddenly suggested.

I nodded and balled my fist. "You're on Ash Ketchum!"

As it turned out a battle was just the thing to limber me up after this morning. It felt great just to get moving, and Pikachu was super strong now too. When it was all said and done Fraxure and me just barely won. Not that a win wasn't a win, but I could tell Ash had been training a lot.

Trying to catch my breath I faced him and grinned. "That was a tough battle, Ash, way to go!"

He rubbed the back of his head and smiled in that goofy way he usually did. "Yeah no kidding, but you're super strong."

I shrugged feeling a little embarrassed under all the praise. "Well, I guess I got a lot of practice at the league, defeating the old champion wasn't too easy."

"I'll bet!" He said with a smile as Pikachu hopped back onto his shoulder. I was about to say something else, but right on cue his stomach growled, and I didn't bother to do anything but laugh.

"You haven't changed a bit Ash." I said smirking at him with my hands on my hips. He rubbed at the back of his head again.

"I guess that's true, yeah…"

"Fine, let's head over to the pokemon center, Pikachu and Fraxure can rest up, and we can get something to eat."

Honestly it was pretty nice to get to spend some time with Ash, just the two of us like it was when we first met. We'd all been so busy with this detective business that we hadn't had much time to do anything else. Something told me Cilan was going to have his nose buried in a book for the rest of the afternoon anyway, so Ash and me might as well get caught up. On the walk over we mostly swapped stories. He told me about other regions he'd been too, about the pokemon he'd seen and the trainers he'd met. And I told him how hard it had been preparing for the league. The truth was Drayden hadn't gone easy on me when I finally got around to asking him for special training.

But I guess it had payed off all the same. For a little while he even let me stand in as the Opelucid City gym leader, you know just to get the experience. But there was something about being tied to just one place that I didn't like. It was almost like I felt trapped. I didn't want to let him down, but I thought he understood. That's why I was so glad I could win the league, if just to make him proud of me, and to try and find my own path. And for a while I guess I felt like I had. At least until lately, but I made sure to leave that little part out of my story…

Once we made it to the center Ash ran in ahead as usual. We left Pikachu and Fraxure with Nurse Joy, but right before she left to treat them she told me someone had called and left a message for me. I told Ash to go on ahead into the cafeteria while I saw who it was from.

So sitting down at the video phone I just called back. I wasn't sure who I was expecting to see, but a funny feeling in my stomach told me I was worried it might be trouble. Which meant I was getting just as paranoid as Cilan for sure. But instead of some dastardly villain appearing on the screen, a familiar one did.

"Iris!"

I grinned about as wide as I could. "Dawn!" Then I laughed. "Long time no see, how are things in Sinnoh?"

She winked at me. "Try Kalos!"

"Kalos? For real?"

She almost turned smug. Yep same old loveable Dawn… "Only all the greatest coordinators are going there!"

I rolled my eyes playfully at her. "Which is why you're there, right?"

She deflated a little into humility. "Well I figured it was worth a shot anyway." Then she winked again. "Not all of us can be champion!"

I blushed. "It's just for now, it doesn't mean I can hang onto the title next year."

She laughed. "Wow, now that's the spirit! What happened to trying to aim for the top? Here I thought Ash rubbed off on you too?"

I shrugged. "Yeah I know, but I guess I'm just not trying to get my hopes up, it's a lot of pressure otherwise."

Dawn's face looked sort of understanding for a second. "Yeah I get that. But anyway don't worry about it, do your best and just enjoy the ride. That's what my mom always tells me!"

"How is she anyway?" I asked while a million different things I wanted to ask her filled my mind.

"She's great, everybody is. But anyway, I wanted to ask about you, word on the street is you almost got hit by a car?"

I cringed a little. How far away had that news traveled by now? And worse yet, what _else_ were the papers talking about?

"Oh yeah that…" I said, taking a page from Ash's book, and rubbing the back of my neck.

"Yeah that," she pressed. "Now tell me exactly what happened, will ya?"

Dawn was eager for gossip as usual, but I knew what parts to leave out of this story. Mainly all the parts about Chili… So I filled her in, or _mostly_ in. From the car to the gala, to Slick and even to this morning with that strange guy in the coffee shop. When all was said and done she looked pretty excited.

"Whoa a real mystery, that's pretty cool I guess. Just hope things don't get dangerous, ya know? You're making me worried about you, Iris."

I smiled. "That's sweet, but I think we can manage. Nothing has seemed all that dangerous so far, mostly I think that bit with the car was just an accident anyway so…"

"Okay, okay, that's good, but now tell me about you and Cilan?"

For a second I just stared at her. But the longer I stayed quiet the more her eyebrows raised, then she just broke out laughing.

"Your silence is very convincing!" She teased.

I bit my lip before frowning. "W-Well what do you mean anyway?"

Next she waved a magazine in front of the screen. "You don't read much do you? The celebrity news magazine came out with an article just this morning."

"About what?" I asked, wary.

Dawn flipped it open and skimmed over a page, before looking back up at me. "Well it's not a huge article, but they have some pictures of you and Cilan together, and a few thoughts from the editor."

"Thoughts?" I said feeling my blood pressure rise.

Dawn shrugged. "Yeah, just theories and stuff like that. Hey you know how people love to talk about famous people and their possible relationships."

"But I'm not famous, Dawn." I said crossing my arms and looking down.

She chuckled. "Sorry Ms. Modest, but you totally are. You're the champion, and he's a gym leader, so that's a big deal. Anyway it was just a few pictures the paparazzi have been getting lately. No big deal, people will just forget about it if it's nothing." Then she paused and leaned in a little closer to the screen, whispering.

"It _is_ nothing, right?"

"Dawn...oh come on give me a break, will you?" I moaned as I stared at the ceiling.

But I heard her gasp suddenly, so something told me I wasn't too convincing as far as dismissing the idea went.

"Wait, it's true! Wow that's great, but why didn't you tell me sooner?"

I frowned and slid a little lower in my seat. "That would be because it _isn't_ true. We're still just friends, same as always. It just goes to show you not to believe half of what you read."

She didn't say anything for a second, but when I saw her face soften I felt my stomach twist.

"Hey look, I didn't mean to pry, sorry about that… I'm not like everybody else reading those magazines, I really am just worried about you. That's what friends are for, right?"

I didn't say anything at first, but then I let my shoulders slump and gave into a sigh. "Yeah I know Dawn, and it means a lot to me… It's just… that's not really something I know how to talk about at this point is all…"

She grinned slowly. "Okay I get it, and I won't pry anymore. I'm officially shutting up!"

I felt myself smile a little. "Thanks…"

We both got quiet for a while, and if we hadn't been best friends then it would have felt awkward for sure. But all the same I guess I was glad when Ash suddenly rounded the corner and leaned into the conversation.

"Dawn?" He said blinking in confusion.

She frowned and I could tell she was faking being upset, it made me laugh. "Ash Ketchum, well it's about time you thought to say hello! Friends used to at least call each other sometimes."

He scratched at the side of his face. "Yeah guess I got pretty busy with training and stuff… Sorry about that."

She shook her head. "Yeah yeah, I know, more excuses. How does Pikachu even put up with you!?" She shouted sounding playfully exasperated.

"More like how do any of us put up with him…?" I added in, folding my arms and faking a frown.

"Oh man…" Ash mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Dawn smirked a little before looking back at me. "Well keep an eye on him for me, somebody has got to, that's for sure!"

I nodded. "Sure thing!"

"Good, well see you later, I've got to practice a new routine with Piplup. But hey, you guys can catch my performance on TV tomorrow night."

"Will do, later." I said with a smile.

"We'll be cheering for you guys!" Ash added in with a wave.

"Yep, fine, later later." Then the screen went dark again.

"Well, I guess we better go eat, huh?" I said as I stood and stretched.

Ash nodded and patted his stomach. "Yep, I'm sure starving!"

I smirked at him and shrugged. "Just like a little kid would be."

"Hey…" He mumbled before sulking off down the hall.

I couldn't help but grin as I watched him go. My friends were the best. It made me wonder how I had made it being separated from everybody as long as I had been. And as ironic as it was, I thought about Cilan right then too… I could picture him sitting at an empty table in the corner of his restaurant. He'd be bent over that dusty old novel: A Tale of Relics. And just to add to it he'd probably be underlining parts and overthinking every sentence. What I really wanted to tell him was just to relax, to just come and hang out with me and Ash like we used to.

And there it was again, that same old feeling of being so homesick, of missing everybody so much. What was going to happen when this case was over? Just like Dawn, we'd all probably go in separate directions again, right? What else could we do? We all had different dreams, things we wanted to do. That was just how life was, not even best friends could be together all the time. So why was it still so hard…?

It wasn't like we couldn't all just get together again though, right? And we needed to do it a lot more often, it didn't have to be just every few years or so. I nodded to myself, as if just doing that would make me feel better. And it did, or at least by a little bit. But there was still something eating at me. Something I couldn't put my finger on. Or maybe it was just something I didn't want to face? But hadn't I already? Wasn't it just yesterday that I'd finally admitted I could be...well in love with him. With Cilan of all people?

But I knew that was just going to complicate things. Even if it was true, one feeling didn't change anything. It doesn't mean that he'd feel the same way, and even if it did, it wasn't a guarantee that we would work. We'd been friends for almost our whole lives, and trying to be more than that could just turn out to be a big mistake. We came from different worlds, so it took different things to make us happy. But how could you balance direct opposites? We were as different as day and night, as black and white…

But what he'd said today about opposites complementing each other… Was that really true?

By the time I got to the table with Ash I was too lost in thought to even be hungry. Which was weird for me, usually it would have been just the opposite. But the more I thought about things going back to the way they were, to a few phone calls every now and then… To all those days alone… The truth was I felt closer to sick than hungry. Something really had to be wrong with me.

"Hey, you okay?" Ash suddenly asked. I thought it was dramatic that he'd even notice in the first place. Especially considering he was busy eating.

But I couldn't lie, as much as I'd been trying to just avoid the subject with Ash and Dawn, I still thought maybe I'd feel better if I talked about it. So I decided to say just what I was thinking for once. Ignoring his question I just stared straight at him and opened my mouth.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Needless to say he almost choked on his mouthful. But once he got over almost strangling he just blinked at me, at a total loss. Why was I crazy enough to think Ash of all people would get this?

I sighed, and tried to ignore the blush I knew I must have had. "Look it's not that strange of a question, we're not little kids anymore." Then I clarified. "Or at least not physically, anyway."

He looked down and rubbed at top of his head, before straightening his hat nervously. "Yeah I know that… And um I...uh I guess so, but…"

"It's just something Dawn was saying and something I'm thinking about because…" I trailed off. "Because of reasons."

"What kind of reasons?" He asked looking back up at me awkwardly.

I sighed, not really sure how to put it. "Um...well…"

"Because you think you're in love with somebody, is that it?" He said with a slight smile. The look on his face almost seemed like he suddenly understood where I was coming from, but I wasn't sure about that.

"Uh yeah, pretty much…" I mumbled out.

"Is it somebody me and Cilan know?" He asked, now seeming interested.

I sighed again. "Yeah, you could definitely say that..."

He scratched at his chin. "So who do we both know… Um…" Then he snapped, like he'd gotten an idea. "Stephan!?"

I just stared at him for a second before shaking my head. "Uh no, besides you do know he's dating Bianca, right?"

"Yeah that wouldn't work…" He mumbled before trying again. "Trip maybe?"

"No, Ash." I said firmly. "And I didn't mean for you to try and guess. I just wanted…" But I trailed off. What did I want? What was I expecting Ash to say? Was I expecting some deep insight? That just wasn't Ash's style, and it wasn't like he'd ever dated anyone either as far as I knew.

"You just wanted to talk about it? So it won't feel so mixed up?" He said suddenly, and it caused me to look up at him in amazement.

I nodded, almost speechless. "Yeah, actually that's exactly it."

He smiled a little. "I know how you feel. Because when you care about a friend like that it can be really weird... Did Dawn ask you about it just now?"

I narrowed my eyes. "She was just talking about something she'd read in one of those gossip magazines. You know, since I'm champion they like to make up all kinds of stories about me."

He smiled. "I asked Cilan about love and stuff once too."

I frowned nervously. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I figured he might know about that sort of thing, since he seems pretty popular with girls that go to his restaurant and everything."

I felt a vein in my forehead throb, but I tried to brush it off before Ash noticed. Not that I really thought he would.

"And what did he say?" I pressed slowly.

"He said I should just tell her about it. To be honest with how I felt. He said it was the only way to know for sure, and not be wondering about it forever."

Why doesn't he start taking his own advice? I thought to myself, still salty.

"Well, did you ever do that?" I asked gently.

He frowned and shook his head. "No, I lost my nerve and wondered if I'd just mess things up worse if I did…"

I sighed, and slipped into that "misery loves company" kind of feeling. "Yeah I get what you mean, Ash. I really do…"

Next the both us got quiet, but it wasn't really awkward, no it was just a comfortable kind of silence, it almost felt like we were both trying to pat each other on the back. Like we finally understood just how much we understood. Boy were we in the same boat…

Finally I spoke up though. "So is that all we do then? Do we just forget about it and live with the 'what ifs?'"

He shrugged. "Maybe. But that still seems sorta lame…"

I nodded agreeing. "Yeah, I'll admit that. But isn't it better than risking ruining a great friendship?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe but it still seems like a bad idea. If friends can't be honest than it's almost like they're not really friends at all…"

I frowned and looked down at the floor. He did have a point I guess…

"Anyway," Ash said looking a little more cheered up suddenly. "Cilan said he understood because he cared about somebody too. So maybe you should ask him about it yourself?"

I felt my heart leap into my throat before I did my best to just swallow it. It wasn't like that meant he was talking about me, but between that and what Chili had said… I shook my head to clear my brain as much as possible.

"Uh maybe…"

Then Ash smiled and dug back into his food, yeah as if nothing strange had happened at all. The truth was I was hungry, but… Grabbing an apple off his tray I tried to just stick to the basics.

Now I was really in for it, Cilan was in love with somebody. Which meant it was either me or somebody else. Which meant I had a 50/50 chance of making a complete fool out of myself if I ever did say anything. I guess the odds could have been worse, but they weren't exactly reassuring either...

And even if he did like me, it still didn't answer the larger question. Would we work even if we both did feel the same way? And how would it change both our lives to begin with? Those questions seemed even bigger and scarier than the first one. And mostly because I knew they weren't as simple as a yes or no. The thing was, if any of those answers were no, well it would be way too late by the time I found out…

So what was I supposed to do…?

What was I wishing?

I wasn't sure, maybe just that… That one way or the other we'd both end up happy?

Yeah...that had to be my greatest _wish_ of all…

 **Thanks so much for the reviews! Glad to know you all are enjoying reading, I've had an absolute blast writing it so far! Anyway stick around for more coming soon.**


	9. Chapter 9

**And here's a new chapter for you! By the way, for anyone interested, I'll have an update for my other story "** **Prominence" by this weekend. Sorry for the delay in that!**

Chapter 9 (Iris' POV)

In spite of everything that had happened the day before, I guess I slept pretty good considering. But maybe I was just too exhausted not to? Either way when the morning came I actually felt pretty energized. So I hopped out of my top bunk and landed with a composed thump on the floor. Then looking over at Fraxure, who was still covered up to his chin, I smiled.

"Well, aren't you the sleepyhead today, Fraxure?" I said with a laugh.

"Ure…?" He mumbled before slowly sitting up.

Walking over to the desk I grabbed a couple oran berries. I took a bite out of one and tossed the other toward Fraxure. "I know it's not Cilan's special dragon formula, but sometimes simple is good too, right?"

"Frax!" He agreed, more than happy to gobble up his breakfast.

I grinned. "Right, so let's get going, we have a lot to do today."

The funny thing was, I wasn't really sure what I was talking about. I didn't have a clue what would happen today, but I had a feeling Cilan had stayed up late to finish that novel. And if I knew him at all than he'd have cooked up something for us to do. I didn't want to say I was actually looking forward to it but… Yeah I guess I kind of was.

No matter how hard I tried to think things through, nothing really seemed to fit together like I wanted, or at least thought it should. But just hanging out like we always had, well that didn't seem weird or scary, so that's just what I was going to do. I wasn't gonna lie, when this case first started I thought it was a real pain, but I was getting used to it. Not that I was into it like Cilan, but at least it gave me a reason to stick around until I could figure everything else out.

So leaving the pokemon center behind we headed out toward the Striaton gym. The sun was already pretty bright today, but it felt good. Almost like I was back home… Walking backward I grinned at Fraxure who still seemed pretty sleepy.

"I know yesterday was pretty busy for you too Fraxure, but something tells me you'll have some more tasty breakfast waiting for you at Cilan's."

"Ure!" He shouted as his little feet picked up their pace.

The truth was Fraxure and me were both a lot alike, nothing got us going like the promise of great food. I felt myself frown just a little. Which was funny, since Cilan loved cooking so much… We were different, but I guess at least that much went together. But I stopped thinking about that pretty quickly because I'd just walked backward into a streetlight…

"Oww…" I moaned as I rubbed the back of my head and looked around hopping no one saw that. There were a few people passing by that looked at me like I was crazy, but mostly nobody seemed to care all that much one way or the other.

"Ure ure?" I heard Fraxure say as he came up beside me with a worried look on his face. I just smiled down at him, even though I still felt pretty stupid. "No, I'm fine, let's just keep going."

A knot on the head wasn't the best sign of things to come, but I tried to just take it in stride. When we finally made it to the gym I pushed the door open like usual. I didn't even hesitate like before, I'd gotten so used to this.

"Good morning, Iris." I heard Cress say as he leaned up from setting a table.

"Morning." I said with a wave. Then I stopped and thought for a second. "Hey um...is Chili here?"

He shook his head. "No, he went out for the morning. He won't be back until this afternoon I'm afraid."

I tried not to let my smile show too much. "That's okay, thanks." Well at least one thing was going my way. I mean don't get me wrong, I liked Chili, but sometimes… Let's just say right now wasn't the best time to have to deal with all _that._

I was headed for the kitchen on instinct, since I knew Cilan would probably be there if nowhere else. But when I got closer to the door I didn't smell what I expected… In fact, something was definitely burning. I pushed the door open just in time to hear Cilan coughing and waving smoke away from the stove. He quickly rushed the smoldering pan over to the sink and tossed it down, before cooling it with a blast of water. I heard the sizzling and saw the steam rising, but it was still almost hard to believe that he had...burnt something?

"Are you alright?" I asked, knowing that if he was cooking this badly he might be sick or something worse.

"Iris…?" He almost whispered as he turned to look at me. I expected him to jump because I'd surprised him, but he didn't he just… Looked like…

I took a step forward as I felt my face turn into a frown to match his. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He ran his hand through his hair before trying to pull a smile on his face, but anybody could have seen through it.

"Could I have a word with you?" He asked as he wrung his hands together.

I felt my heartbeat race as my mouth went completely dry. All I could do was just nod, because no words were coming out even though I wanted them to. I just stood there watching him without saying anything as he went through the motions of pouring food into a bowl for Fraxure.

Fraxure just dug in without really noticing how strange everything suddenly was, but I almost felt sick. What did he want? What was he going to say? All I could think about was what Ash had said he told him. That he cared about someone. I was torn somewhere between wondering what I was worried about more, if it _wasn't_ or if it _was_ me? But no matter what I just didn't want to deal with it right not, not today, I just wanted this to be normal…

He gestured me out the kitchen and over to a table in the corner of the dining room. It was the one we'd always sat at for breakfast… I sat down and watched as he wordlessly did the same across from me. Then he just sat there looking at me for a few seconds before he tried again with the fake smile.

"You've been in Straiton City for a while now, haven't you?" He started slowly.

I just nodded figuring it was a crazy question, we both knew how long I'd been in town.

I expected him to keep up the fake smile routine, but he didn't… No instead his frown came back. "How is it affecting your training schedule? You were on your own journey before, weren't you?"

"Well yeah but…" But I didn't know what else to say, so I just left it at that. What was he trying to get at?

He folded his hands on the table one way, and then he nervously shifted them again. I wasn't really sure where this was going, but after taking a deep breath I decided to try and cut to the chase.

"What do you mean, Cilan? What's bothering you, huh? Just say it, it's okay...whatever it is."

I saw his shoulders slump as he gave me a weak, but sincere smile. "Thank you…" But just as quick as it had came, it went and his frown was back. "This case could go on for some time and it might be better if you didn't feel obligated to stay and see it through…"

I narrowed my eyes a little at him, almost like I could squint and see his point better. "What, you're just worried about me getting behind with training? Because I'm not really worried about that."

He stared down toward the table. "Even so, your training is important, and you shouldn't neglect it…"

I just looked at him for a second before I frowned and balled my fists in my lap. "You know…" I mumbled a little angry suddenly. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me." I bit my lip before staring at him straight on. "But I don't know better, Cilan!"

He flinched when my tone got louder. And maybe I should have too, because it shocked me just like it did him. I didn't want to be angry at him of all people, so why…? But I was… And I was starting to wonder what the real reason was, because I knew it had nothing to do with training.

"Iris please…" He said with a hurt look in his eyes. "It has nothing to do with-"

But I cut him off. "Then why Cilan? Why do you want me to leave?"

Then I frowned even more as I felt something strange happen. It was like someone had just punched me in the stomach, only it wasn't my stomach…it was my heart. Isn't this just what I was worried about? About ruining our friendship? But how...how had it happened before I even said anything? But...if what Chili said was true...then maybe I didn't need to say anything. Maybe it was written all over my face…? And even if it was...then what? Was this how Cilan was going to deal with it? Was this his way of letting me down easy?

Well it wasn't working… Because nothing felt easy about it…

"Iris…" He said almost with a pleading tone in his voice. "I didn't say I want you to-" But this time he cut himself off and I wasn't sure why. But his face suddenly looked shocked. He lifted his hand almost in a subtle gesture to reach out to me, before he just balled it into a fist and rested it back on the table.

"You're crying…" He whispered softly as if he was telling me something I didn't know. And actually...he was.

"What? That's crazy, why would-" I denied until I reached to touch my face and felt something wet against my fingertips. Biting my lip I felt my whole body go rigid. What was I doing?! What was wrong with me, how was I going to explain this? I wanted to just disappear but I couldn't...all I could do was just sit there with my red puffy eyes and my heart on my sleeve.

I was bracing myself for whatever he'd say next, but he just sat there looking at me like I was some shocking freak exhibit. Like he was trying to take it all in and figure it out. But that was the last thing that I wanted him to do. So before we could say anything else I started to scoot my chair out so I could just leave. I couldn't believe how I'd handled this, but the way I saw it nothing much could happen to make it worse at least. Because it was already so horrible already…

"Well I'm done making a little kid out of myself so…" I spit out in a rush as I stood. But he was on his feet and over to me before I could even take a step in any direction.

"Please wait." He said with a gentle touch on my shoulder and a gesture back toward my chair. I guess it didn't take much to convince me, because I felt myself collapse back into my seat without any protest. He pulled his chair a little closer to mine before he sat down again too.

Then he smiled over at me with that same kind gentle look he was known for. Because he was as soft spoken as I was brash sometimes...

"Our time together as of late has been dear to me, Iris." He nodded slightly. "Just like all the times before." Then his face fell. "But it would be selfish of me to try and dictate what you did, just so that we could share more time together…"

"No it wouldn't…" I answered back softly. "Not if I didn't want to go anyway…"

He smiled weakly again before sighing. "Though reconsidering it, maybe a certain selfishness has motivated me regardless…"

"Hmm what do you mean?" I asked focusing on his green eyes.

"Well…" He started to explain, and I almost thought he looked kind of bashful. "The truth is, at the start I couldn't resist the allure of a mystery such as this one. And I...I thought it would be fun to share it with you…" I noticed his hand clench into a tighter fist. Was he nervous?

"To have an adventure the way we used to when we were much younger. But now I know that in itself was selfish of me…" He frowned. "Because now you're in danger because of it… Because of me."

"Danger…? What danger?" I asked slowly, not understanding.

He hesitated before reaching into his pocket and taking out a slip of folded paper. "This was left at the gym's front door, I found it this morning…"

He handed it to me and I unfolded it carefully. But I didn't need to see a signature to know who it was from, it reeked of cheap cologne and motor oil... And inside it read simply: " _Meddling has consequences._ "

I gritted my teeth before throwing down the note on the table. "So what? So what if Slick knows we're on his trail!? He deserves that and more!"

"Well yes but…" Cilan mumbled looking down. And it was right then that everything seemed to click together in my head. So much that I felt both relieved and stupid for not getting it before…

"Wait...you were just worried about me getting hurt…?" I looked up at him. "That's why you wanted me to go?"

Cilan nodded slowly. "We don't know what this man or his associates are capable of. So I thought-"

I cut him off gently. "You just thought wrong is all, Cilan. It's sweet of you to be worried about me… And…" I took in a deep breath just to clear my head and help me get the rest out right. "But running away and hiding just isn't my style. Besides, did you ever stop and think about how worried _I'd_ be if I just left you here alone to deal with it?"

He shook his head slowly. "No I suppose not…"

I smiled softly. "Right, and it shows." Then I laughed slightly. "You were trying to be so _selfless_ that you ended up being _selfish_."

He rubbed at the back of his head and grinned back at me slightly. "My apologizes…"

I felt my smile getting wider as I nodded. "Well I'll forgive you, but only if you let me help. Oh and no more making up excuses, from now on just tell me when something is wrong, okay?"

"Okay." He answered back simply.

I nodded again and I opened up my mouth before I could even think it through. "Because if friends aren't honest with each other, than it's almost like they aren't friends to begin with."

It didn't sound weird to him, it made sense and he just smiled and agreed with me. But to me...because I knew _why_ Ash had said it, well… Well I felt almost like a hypocrite. But it wasn't that I didn't want to be honest with him, it was just...just that I felt like I was still trying to figure out that truth for myself. Maybe if I wasn't such a little kid it would have already been obvious, but still, I thought I just needed a little more time.

Then I'd tell him, one way or the other I'd just tell him… I made that promise with myself, I had to. When I heard the sound of his chair pulling out away from the table I almost jumped. But he just smiled down at me. "Would you like breakfast? We can talk about what I found interesting in 'A Tale of Relics.'"

It took a minute to get my head back on straight, but when I did I smirked up at him. "Sure! Just don't burn it this time, okay?"

He laughed and bowed playfully. "I'll do my best."

Then I pushed out my chair and stood. "I can help. I'm not that good, but I can crack more eggs, and drop more shells in the food, if you want me too?"

He smiled softly, and I almost thought I saw him blush a little. "I'd like that, shells and all."

"Great, because I'm starving!" I shouted with a laugh.

For the rest of the morning everything felt exactly like it always had between us. Except it was like we had seen some part of each other that we'd kept hidden until now. That's why I'd cried… And if I stopped and thought about it I still felt really embarrassed. But...in some way...well I was glad that he'd seen some secret part of me. Because it felt like I didn't have as much to hide anymore, even if neither of us were ready to talk about it just yet. So yeah...that's pretty much it…

We'd just finished cooking, and were sitting back down to eat when Ash and Pikachu came walking into the restaurant. What I didn't know, was just how close trouble was behind them…

"Ash, why good morning!" Cilan beamed seeming completely himself again. Then he stood and gestured Ash toward an empty chair. "Have you had breakfast yet? Let me get you a serving of the omelette Iris and I just finished."

Ash grinned a little and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Yeah sure, I could eat something."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Big shock, Ash…" Then I reached to scratch Pikachu under the chin. "I bet you'd like something too, huh?"

"Pi pika pi!" He said with just as much enthusiasm as his trainer.

I laughed. "Okay, let's get you something, Fraxure is still having his breakfast too." Or I guess it was his second or third breakfast by now…? I couldn't really say much about Ash considering how my pokemon ate so much too.

Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder and I walked into the kitchen to get another bowl for him. Fraxure was laying on his back in the corner, letting out an occasional moan. I shook my head as I poured Pikachu's food.

"You know Fraxure, I love Cilan's cooking too, but at this rate you'll be as big as a haxorus before you ever evolve."

"Ure…" He groaned, and I took it that he was agreeing with me.

Smiling I just shook my head again and walked back out, so I could have my own breakfast. Unlike everyone else, I hadn't really eaten anything yet. So I went and sat back down, where Ash was already stuffing his face. Cilan smiled at him and neatly cut a small piece of his own omelette with his knife and fork. I sighed as I looked between them. What a contrast...

"So," Cilan began with his typical cheerful composure. "Would you both like to know what I discovered from reading 'A Tale of Relics?'"

I nodded. "Yeah of course. Did it have something to do with what Lukas was talking about." I waved my fork in a gesture. "You know, something that Slick would wish was real?"

A little smirk appeared on Cilan's face, and I knew it all too well, he was about to go full on annoying…

"It's even better than we could have hoped or dreamed!" He dropped his fork back to his plate and rubbed at his chin. "At first I thought it was just a side plot element, but by the end it was actually a fascinating twist. Not to mention the compelling narrative, and profound character development!"

I sighed. Apparently he was a book connoisseur too?

"But as for what Mr. Rigford could possibly be interested in…" He smiled weakly. "I haven't the faintest idea…"

I slumped back in my chair wondering why I was even surprised. "Sure you didn't get any clues?" I asked wearily.

He hesitated before answering. "Well...it was a compelling love story with exciting adventure elements, but as for anything that would be of interest to a man like Mr. Rigford…"

I sighed again and hung my head. "So I guess we're just back at step one all over again then?"

He shook his head and held up his index finger. "Not quite… There was a recurring symbol at the bottom of each page. At first I thought it must have just been a decorative way to display the page number, but upon further research…" He smiled smugly. "I recalled that I'd seen it before…" He paused, which I knew was just his way to get extra annoying dramatic effect.

"At the antique shop!"

I blinked a few times before frowning. "You mean the one that was broken into?"

"Precisely. It was the same symbol found on a certain coin that was proudly displayed in the showcase. So I made a few calls, and discovered who donated the coin to the exhibit. And it fact it wasn't donated at all, but is merely on loan as a historic and educational piece. Which is why it's kept in a separate glass case, to be forever admired but never sold."

"So why didn't the eye-patch guy steal it, if it's important?" Ash asked simply, and I thought he had a point.

Cilan deflated a little before reaching to take a slow sip of his tea. "I haven't figured that part out just yet…"

I smiled catching on quick. "But you want us to go talk to whoever it belongs to, right?"

He nodded cheerful again. "Exactly right, Iris! In fact, I've already made arrangements to meet with him this evening."

"Aw man…" Ash suddenly groaned. "I was supposed to watch Dawn's showcase tonight."

Cilan smiled. "That's alright, Ash, I could go by myself, it should be a fairly simple interview." Then he turned to me. "You can stay too, if you'd like, Iris."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't sure if he was trying to be overprotective again, or if he just knew I'd want to watch Dawn too. Which was true but…

"I'll think about it." I said not letting him off the hook that easy either way.

He just nodded with a smile before turning back to his plate.

The truth was I didn't want to miss Dawn's showcase, but I couldn't get to feeling right about him going it alone either. That afternoon I headed back to the pokemon center while Cilan's restaurant was dealing with it's typical lunch rush. I was hoping I'd figure out what I should do, because I only had until tonight to decide one way or the other. It wasn't like I didn't think he could handle himself, but that note from Slick was at least a little worrying. I mean...what if he needed backup and no one was there?

But I didn't want to disappoint Dawn either… Not that she wouldn't understand the situation if I just explained it, but knowing her she'd read into that. I sighed when I finally got back to my room and laid back on the bed. Of course truthfully, I _was_ worried about him going alone. And after this morning I was starting to read into things myself…

Sitting up I looked over at Fraxure. "I'll be back in a little while, just stay here, okay?"

"Frax." He calmly nodded, before he crawled onto the bed for what I guessed was going to be another nap.

So I trailed down to the main lobby and took a seat at one of the video phones. I tried to get the one as far in a corner as possible, which must have said a lot for how I guessed this conversation was going to go.

After about three rings Dawn appeared on the screen with a surprised look, but then a big smile.

"Miss me already?" She laughed.

I smiled weakly. "Yeah well I...um just wanted to talk to you. Do you have minute, you know before your contest?"

She waved off my concern. "I'm all done with practice, now I'm just trying to forget about the butterfrees in my stomach. So go right ahead and feel free to distract me."

I wrung my hands together and looked down, trying to figure out how to word this. "The thing is…"

"Yeah?" She added trying to encourage me.

"Well I might not be able to watch you on TV tonight…"

Her face fell a little bit, and I could tell she was disappointed, but then she smiled at me. "Oh what, got a big date tonight? Because in that case I'd probably bail on you too."

I cringed before grinning a little. "Uh no it's just...um Cilan needs my help with something for the investigation and…"

"You don't want him to go it alone?" She said reading my mind, and trying not to smirk too much. But she was actually doing a pretty lame job of that last part…

"Yeah...I guess so…" I mumbled. "Sorry, I still feel really bad about it."

"Well don't," she said grinning from ear to ear. "I get it, Iris, you've got to be there for him."

I poked my fingers together awkwardly. "Well yeah, but I didn't really mean it _that_ way…"

"Of course you didn't." Dawn agreed without taking the smirk off her face.

I sighed and let my shoulders slump, suddenly feeling a little annoyed. "Look, I know it looks like I'm just trying to deny that I like him but…" I trailed off and Dawn just kept smiling at me, not saying anything. She wasn't trying to pressure me by saying it, but I knew she didn't believe me in the first place. That just made me feel really stupid, so I figured what did I have to lose?

So after glancing around nervously, I just slumped in my chair until my head was laying on the table and almost out of her view. "But that's what I'm doing…"

I heard her laugh before her voice got a little kinder. "Yeah, I know, but that's cool, we've all been there."

I leaned back up slowly. "Well I've never been there…" I mumbled. "And to be honest I don't even like it there, or uh here…"

Dawn still looked like she wanted to laugh, but then her face got a little softer and sincere. "Are you going to tell him?"

I frowned. "Give me a break, I could hardly tell you…"

She leaned into her hand. "Well, let me give you some advice, make the first move. Otherwise you might just end up waiting around _forever._ " She frowned a little and I had a feeling she was talking from experience.

"Wouldn't that look pushy, maybe even desperate…?" I asked staring down at a piece of dust sitting in a corner.

She laughed. "What is this the 1500s? It's perfectly fine for the girl to start things off. And really with men being as dense as they are, it's practically all up to us anyway."

I sighed as I tried to ignore how red my face felt. "Cilan isn't the dense type… Or at least not like Ash anyway."

Dawn folded her arms. "Well yeah, Ash is an extreme case for sure, but that doesn't mean Cilan is going to get that you like him too."

"What do you mean _too_?" I whined and huffed. "Nobody said he _does_ feel the same."

Dawn sighed and leaned back. "Are you about to pull the low self-esteem thing?"

I frowned and didn't say anything at first, before I glanced back at her. "I don't know...maybe…?"

She pointed at me suddenly. "Well don't. You're awesome, and he knows it." Then she balled her fist. "You just have to be determined to fight for what you want in life!"

I rolled my eyes. "You sound like Ash taking about a pokemon battle…"

She grinned. "And like you, taking about anyone else's love. You're just a worry wort. The best thing to do is just get it over with, that way you can move on and quit worrying about it."

I sighed. "Yeah move on when he rejects me for being just some kid…"

She frowned. "Oh please, what is he, like three measly years older than you?"

I nodded. "Well yeah, but that's not what I mean… It's not the years, it's how different we are. Cilan's a real gentleman, and I'm...well I'm more at home in a tree than someplace fancy."

"Opposites attract. Or have you not heard?" She asked teasingly. "The whole universe is made like that. It takes all the opposite things to keep everything in balance."

I looked down as I thought about what she'd said. Back home, in the village of dragons, I'd always heard stories like that. That Reshiram and Zekrom, and the force of their differences, were what helped keep Unova in balance. That one was never really complete without the other…. Back then I never really understood much about that, and maybe I still didn't. I may have managed to become champion, but I still felt like I had a ways to go to truly become a dragon master...

So I was wondering if people could be like that too? How restless and lost I'd felt over the last few years, was it just because I was out of balance…? Because I was missing something?

"Besides," Dawn spoke up and it pulled me out of everything I was thinking. "I've seen you two, you're practically like an old married couple already. The way you're always keeping him in line and putting up with him. But you know, still happy to do it."

I shrugged. "Yeah right, whatever... Well thanks anyway, Dawn." I said slowly. "You gave me a lot to think about and...well it was good to just get it off my chest I guess."

She smiled. "Anytime, that's what besties do."

I gave her a thumbs up. "You'll do great on your showcase tonight, and I'll be rooting for you even if I can't watch."

She laughed. "Same here, make sure you keep an eye on Sherlock, Ms. Watson. Later, later!"

"Bye." Was all I said with a little wave, as I watched the screen go dark again.

For the rest of the afternoon all I could think about was those old stories about duality that Elder used to talk about. The two opposing dragons that could complete the whole of life. It made sense I guess… But still, it was hard to believe that the same thing could apply to me and Cilan… But maybe it did… Either way I knew I won't know one way or the other unless I just risked it all.

Unless I was honest.

The sun was starting to set when Fraxure and me headed out to met Cilan, before he left for his interview. I knew he wouldn't be expecting me, and for more that just that reason I felt a little shy when I pushed open the door to his restaurant.

"Chili still hasn't returned from this morning?" I heard him asking Cress, with his back turned to me.

Cress shook his before noticing me and motioning for Cilan to turn around. When he did he looked a little surprised. "Oh Iris, I wasn't expecting you. You aren't going to watch Dawn's showcase?"

I rubbed at my sleeve as I felt my heartbeat pick up. Was I really about to do this? I could still back out now. I could just help him tonight without being so honest, couldn't I? But…

"Is everything alright?" He asked softly, looking a little worried.

I nodded and tried to smile, but it felt awkward at best. "Yeah...but um could I talk to you before we go tonight?"

He just nodded without saying anything. Cress looked between us before politely excusing himself.

I didn't really want to look up, I'd rather just keep staring down at the carpet. But I knew it was too late to back out now, I needed to be brave. So taking in a deep breath I looked up at him. "Look Cilan...I get it that you might not agree with me… You know, feel the say way, but I've got to tell you something important anyway…"

I was so nervous I almost didn't notice how his face changed when I said that. But the thing is, I did notice, notice how his eyes got wider and he suddenly looked even paler than usual. How he started to wring his hands worse than I'd been doing before. This was it, and it felt like the first time I ever swung on a vine. You climb the tree and hold on tight, but at some point you just have to push yourself off the limb and see what happens.

Now felt just like that. But I didn't know if I was just going to crash or if...if I'd make it to the other side. And how should I say it? Like? Love? Feelings for? I bit my lip. What did it matter, it all pretty much meant the same thing? So pushing everything, every worry and doubt aside, I just looked at him straight on and opened my mouth.

"Cilan, I've been thinking about this for a while now and...the truth is I-"

But right then and there, just as my mind had somehow settled on the word love, it all fell apart.

The front door of the gym was thrown open and the next thing I smelled was that horrible scent of cheap cologne and motor oil. Only now it was mixed with something else. Something that felt like it was choking me. My whole body felt suddenly heavy and I fell to my knees.

"S-Sleep powder!" Cilan choked as he stepped in front of me. He was reaching for a pokeball but it was too late and he slumped to his knees too. I watched his face struggling and fighting to stay conscious, but finally the toxic air won out and he completely collapsed. My vision was blurry as sleep tugged at my eyes relentlessly. But through it all I could just see the two Venomoth Slick commanded toward us.

"Sweet dreams, my dear." He said with an evil laugh as he stood over the two of us. I glanced over at Fraxure's sleeping face and then at Cilan one last time. One last time before I fell completely out too.

They say that when something shocking like that happens you see your whole life flash in front of you. Well mine didn't, no, all I saw was one thing, all I wished was one thing…

I just _wished_ I wouldn't have waited so long to try and tell him… Because right now I wasn't sure if I'd ever get another chance…

 **Please drop me a review and let me know how this is shaping up to you, if you want. Anyway more coming soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 (Iris' POV)

I'd fallen off that first vine I tried to swing on, by the way. I fell and my head felt like it'd been sat on by a Scolipede for about a week afterward. Which was pretty much how it felt right now…

I slowly opened my eyes but the light just made my headache worse. Even so, I still came up fighting, half expecting to have to deck Slick and finally make my escape.

"Hey easy, will ya!" I heard a familiar voice say.

Rubbing at my blurry eyes until they cleared I had to do a double take. "Chili?!"

He shrugged and grinned a little. "The one and only."

Then I frowned as I looked around the tiny room we were sitting on the floor of. "Where are we, and what happened?"

He sighed. "Well the first one I have no clue about, but as for the second, I think the term is 'kidnapped.'"

I balled my fists. "Where's Fraxure and Cilan!? If Slick laid one finger on them, so help me I'll-"

"Wow take it easy!" He said waving his hands in front of himself defensively. "Let's take this from the top and maybe it'll make a little more sense. I was out meeting a 'secret admirer' when I got jumped and sleep powdered."

"Secret admirer? Wait what…?" I asked feeling even more confused.

He crossed his arms and looked disappointed. "Uh yeah, I got a note and figured it was from a pretty girl, instead it turns out to be from a creepy villain apparently?"

"So you fell into a trap?"

He nodded. "Well this certainly doesn't seem like the best way to start a relationship, so yeah. Anyway, what happened to you?"

I held my head, but not because I couldn't remember, but just because I felt so worried and angry when I did remember. "I was with Cilan at the restaurant last night when we were ambushed. By the time we even knew what was happening, it was way too late." I gritted my teeth and felt tears start to well up in my eyes. "If he hurt Cilan or Fraxure…"

Chili sighed, and scooted a little closer to me, sohe could put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, Cilan is a tough guy, he can handle himself. I mean he uh gets the criminal mind and all. But you know, unless they're holding him somewhere else I think we were the only ones kidnapped anyway."

I wiped at my eyes and tried to put on brave face. "What do you mean?"

He pointed toward a tiny window with bars in the corner. "Well I saw when they brought you in. You were zonked out, so Slick had a few of his goons carry you up here, but I didn't see any trace of Cilan or Fraxure."

"But why would they leave them behind if they knocked them out too?" I asked not sure about his point.

Chili shook his head. "Don't know, this guy is probably crazy in the first place, but if I had to guess, I'd say he just wants to hold us ransom or get to Cilan somehow. I mean it makes sense, doesn't it?" Chili smirked a little, and I could hardly believe he was trying to joke at time like this.

"Kidnap his favorite brother, _and_ his girlfreind. It sounds like just the thing if he wanted leverage, right?"

I frowned, not even bothering to clarify that he probably wasn't the favorite, and I definitely wasn't his girlfriend. I needed to be focusing on how to get out of here, but all my thoughts were still spinning around Cilan and Fraxure. Not to mention I still felt like I'd been hit by a truck from the sleep powder.

"I guess it's dumb to ask if we have any of our pokeballs, right?"

He sighed. "No dice there, obviously."

"Which means we'll have to find and take them back before we leave too…" I mumbled to myself.

"Oh good we're planning on leaving. Care to let me in on how?"

I sighed and slumped back against the wall. "Yeah...just as soon as I figure it out myself…"

"Well…" Chili said, suddenly sounding a little serious, which was always a shock for him. "If it's any encouragement, I'm not gonna let these creeps hurt you, I owe Cilan at least that much."

I frowned before smiling a little at him. "Thanks Chili, I'm glad I'm not in this mess alone."

But I didn't realize just how quick he was going to have to make good on that, because just then the door came swinging open. Standing in the doorway was Slick and two of his henchmen. I was seriously just considering jumping all of them, but before I could Chili stepped in front of me.

"Hi guys, it's been a while, so what can we do for you scuz-bags now? Could I suggest letting us go?" Then he pointed and I recognized some of the dramatic flair Cilan had, it must have ran in the family...

"As in before you bring the wrath of my bro down on you! He's a genius, and he'll figure you guys out and be here to rescue us in nothing flat. Because I really wouldn't want to be you when he gets here! Sure you can kidnap me, his bro, but when you mess with his lady, well you've gone way too far!"

I frowned. I was pretty sure Chili was taking it too far right now…

Slick laughed. "Cute. Absolutely adorable in fact. But I am the one who's the genius here, which is exactly why I've captured you two. Now that he realizes I have all the cards in my hand, he'll have no choice but to meet my demands."

"Which are?" Chili asked raising an eyebrow.

He smirked. "Ah yes, this is usually where the bumbling crooks monologue their entire plan, so you can simply use it against them, am I right?"

Chili shrugged. "Yeah, basically."

Slick laughed. "Well, I am so much more than a bumbling crook."

"Yeah, you're an ugly one too…" Chili mumbled back through gritted teeth.

"Watch your manners, little boy." Slick said still seeming amused.

I knew he was about to lash out and probably make things worse, so I stepped in front of him. "Look, do whatever, but Cilan isn't going to give you what you want, even if it is to save us." I stepped closer and glared Slick down, nose to nose.

He just smiled again. "I wouldn't be so sure, madame champion. But seeing as you have spent so little time being a man, I can understand how you wouldn't grasp it."

"Grasp what!?" I fumed.

He smirked. "Just how far a man will go to spare the woman he loves from harm…"

I felt my knees go weak again as the fight drained out of me. He had no right to even say Cilan's name, let alone think he knew how he felt. I didn't even know, so I knew he definitely didn't… But just hearing that word...love… It bought last night up all over again, and I felt like my heart was being twisted in two different directions.

"Ethics, reason, good motive, they all bow to the heart, don't they? So no, my dear, your precious Cilan _will_ give me exactly what I want… You are my unfailing guarantee of it."

I wanted to punch him and run for it. And maybe I was disappointed in myself that I didn't do just that. But...but I just felt too weak suddenly. So much so that I wanted shake myself, like I still needed to wake up from the sleep powder. Only it wasn't that...it was just...everything I felt and everything I didn't get a chance to say. Because the really terrible thing was that I wasn't sure if Slick interrupting me last night, might just turn out for the best anyway. Would it give me another chance to just change my mind? Wasn't the friendship we _already_ had better than some philosophy on duality…?

Slick slammed and locked the door again and I just fumbled backward until I reached the back wall. Then I just slowly slid down it until I was on my knees and looking down.

For a little while Chili didn't say anything, but then he tried. "Hey...you alright…? I mean besides that we've been kidnapped and everything…"

I just let out a slow breath, before I started to say crazy things I hadn't even planned on. But even so...it just felt like I needed to say it, to say it all. "You were right about us, Chili… Or at least right about me."

"I...don't follow?" He said slowly as he sat down next to me.

"About Cilan… About us being more than friends." I looked over at Chili and focused on his eyes, not even embarrassed anymore. "I am in love with him. In fact, I probably have been for a long time, I've just been too dense to even realize it… He's a pain sometimes, but he still makes me happy. And as contradictory as it sounds, he gives me the courage to be brave, but makes me feel safe, like maybe I don't have to be in the first place… We're like that story Elder used to tell about opposites completing and strengthening each other… Even as crazy as that seems…"

For a few long moments he didn't say anything, and I didn't blame him. What could anybody say after that?

But being Chili, he just smiled, smiled and clapped a few quiet, dramatic times. "Bravo, that was one heck of a 'heat of the moment' confession. But there's just one thing…" He pointed out with a little frown. "I'm not the right guy to be telling all that to..."

I wrapped my arms around my legs, and rested my chin on my knees. "Yeah...I know, Chili… I know…"

It was easy to lose track of time when you were just sitting and feeling sorry for yourself. Because that's just what happened. From the angle of the sun outside the little window I could guess it was around 4:00 or so in the afternoon. It was hard to believe but I'd almost been kidnapped for 24 hours already. And all I could think about was what Slick might be trying to force Cilan to do. I didn't want him to help him though, yeah not even if it meant something bad happening to us.

I thought he was right about one thing at least though...Cilan wouldn't stop until he had rescued us. But we had been in tough spots before, and we never compromised to get out of them. There was always another way… Always. Slick was just too evil to get that. But like always my stomach didn't get when not to make a fuss.

Chili turned to look at me when he heard my stomach growl. I tried to smile a little. "Sorry about that…"

He grinned slightly as he reached inside his pocket for something. Then tossing it to me I saw it was a candybar. Unwrapping it I broke it in two and gave him a half. But he just shook his head.

"No you eat it."

I frowned up at him. "Hey come on, I know you're just as hungry as I am, Chili."

He nodded. "Maybe, but you should still eat it, it's more chivalrous that way."

I rolled my eyes a little playfully. "Yeah and you cared about being chivalrous with me starting when exactly?"

He smirked at me playfully, then he finally took his half of the bar. "Good point."

I grinned back and rolled my eyes again.

He shrugged. "Well, it's just because I view you more like my big sister." He winked. "Which you'll probably end up being anyway so…"

I felt myself blush before I frowned at him. "What do you mean _big_ anyway, I'm younger than you?"

He grinned. "Yeah, but I carry my age way better than _old_ Cilan."

I laughed. "Yeah, because you're such a little kid!"

He ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed. "Dang, I walked right into that…"

It wasn't much, but right now that half of a candybar tasted almost like the best thing I'd ever eaten. But it wasn't going to last long I knew. So feeling a bit more like myself I walked over to the locked door and banged against it about as hard as I could.

Chili raised his eyebrows. "Escape Ideas?"

I smirked. "No, just a friendly protest."

The door swung open and a couple buff guards with ferrothorn glared in at me. I just smiled and crossed my arms. "Hey, tell your creepy boss that if he starves us to death he'll lose his leverage with Cilan!"

They all looked between themselves for a second before slamming the door in my face. "Well good luck with that…" Chili said almost sounding amused.

I shrugged. "It was at least worth a try, right?"

Chili leaned against the wall and stretched his legs. "Yeah I guess, but I doubt they're just going to bring us a buffet now."

"Maybe not, but at least I'm trying to do something…" I mumbled to myself as I examined the door and walls. There had to be a way out of here... But how…? I turned toward the window and pulled myself onto the sill. Grabbing the bars I shook them, but just like I expected they didn't exactly budge for me…

"Well if they do come back with any food," Chili added in. "I think we should just rush them and take our chances with those ferrothorn."

"Yeah maybe…" I mumbled still tugging on the bars. Then hopping down I landed with a frustrated look on my face. "You know Chili… What if Cilan _can't_ give them what they want even if he wanted to?"

"How do you mean?" He asked.

"I was just thinking about some of the things that happened during our investigation. I think Slick thinks we know more than we do…"

"Well, Cilan could still act like he knows what the crazy guy is talking about. You know, just until he finds out where we are."

"Yeah I guess…" I mumbled with my arms crossed.

"Anyway," Chili started again. "He's probably already contacted Cilan and made his demands. So now that he's on the case we should be getting out of here in nothing flat."

I sighed. I didn't want to talk bad about Cilan, but sometimes I wondered about his "detective skills." But what I wasn't wondering about was how motivated he'd be to find us. I knew him and Ash both wouldn't stop until they rescued us. But even so, it was never easy for me just to sit around and wait, especially not in this situation. I still thought I needed to do something...

But before I could even think about what that thing was, well something answered the question for me. In a flash of light somebody appeared in the middle of the room. Chili hopped to his feet and yanked me away from the suddenly appeared figure.

"You…?" I mumbled almost too stunned to speak.

There standing in the middle of the little room, was none other than Mr. Eye-Patch and his teleporting Abra!

I wanted to ask a million questions right about then, but I didn't have time before he jumped toward us and wrapped us in...a hug? But then I got why, because in a flash of light we were gone. My head was swimming when we reappeared in what looked like an alley. I'd never been teleported before, but right about then I didn't care about the possible side effects. Nope, all that mattered was that we were free. Or had we just been kidnapped by the _other_ bad guy?

Stepping in front of a mostly dazed Chili I frowned at the eye-patch guy that was standing just a few feet away. "Who are you!?" I shouted, expecting more trouble.

But just like before he didn't say anything. He just stood there, before he reached in his trench coat and started pulling something out of his pockets. They were...pokeballs? He rolled them toward us before stepping backward and disappearing into another puff of teleported light.

"What just happened…?" Chili said holding his head.

I didn't even bother answering, I just grabbed a few of the pokeballs and stared at them close. Then my eyes got big. "Hey, these are ours! He rescued us and got our pokemon back!"

"But wait…" Chili said looking faint. "Isn't he the same guy that almost killed you with that stolen car?"

I nodded. "Yeah… But it looks like we're even now…" Scooping up my pokeballs and dragging Chili to his feet I stepped out of the alley and tried to get my bearings. But what I saw almost took my breath away.

"There's the gym!" I shouted as I pointed straight ahead of us.

Chili smiled weakly. "Good, because I think I need to lay down after that teleport…"

But sick or not I didn't stop at all, I just grabbed his wrist and pulled him across the street as fast as I could. It almost felt like I was dreaming, in fact, for a second when I pushed open the doors, well I thought I was…

But even as happy as I was to be back, I still froze when I looked across the room and saw him...

Officer Jenny was there too, and Ash and Cress of course. I remembered the first time I'd ever made it to Striaton City, and when I first stepped into the gym. Back then it was almost funny to see Cilan and his brother's act so over the top. But a lot had happened since then, you know? And all that it took to turn a stranger into a friend was a little time, and maybe an adventure or two spent together. But all of us...well we were more than just friends...we were family too.

So I just stood there staring across the room at all of them, at my family… Then they all turned to look at us too. He turned to look at me… I heard the sound of his breath catching all the way from there, and I saw the way his face was lost somewhere between a frown and a smile. Like too much was happening inside of him for his face to understand it and react. And you know...I didn't understand it all either. But…

"Iris!" He shouted as he ran over to me. But...when he buried me in the tightest hug I've ever felt, well I figured it didn't really matter if I got it or not... "Iris…" He whispered.

I smiled a little to myself as I hugged him back. "Yeah...it's me..."

I'm not really sure how long we would have stayed like that, but I wasn't really surprised when I heard Chili of all people clear his throat.

"Well, I guess I know where I stand on who you missed more, huh bro?" He said pretending to be offended.

"Chili!" Cilan shouted like he'd just noticed him, and reached to pull him into what was now a group hug.

"Hey don't forget about me either!" Ash said as he jumped in and held on as tightly as he could.

I smiled as tears started to run down my face. I'd never felt so warm in my whole life…

"Thanks, you guys…" I said even though my voice was choking a little. "I love all of you so much!"

Then Cilan pulled back and everybody seemed to sense it and let go. Putting both his hands on my shoulders he looked down at me seriously, and I could see how worried he was.

"Iris, please tell me, did they harm you in any way?"

I shook my head. "No, I mean besides a bit of a headache from the sleep powder. I'm fine really, we both are."

"Speak for yourself…" Chili mumbled still seeming queasy from the teleport.

I watched as Cilan's face fell a little, but it wasn't like he was sad or something. Just like he was so relieved he looked almost weak. And that's when I really saw him, saw him as not just being there, but for how he looked compared to his usual self.

His typically neat suit looked like he'd slept in it, but his eyes didn't look like he'd slept at all. His vest was unbuttoned just like his cuffs, and his bowtie was nowhere to be seen. Now it was my turn to look worried. Because I was, I really was.

I frowned up at him. "You look terrible… Did you sleep at all last night?"

"He hasn't eaten either." Cress said with a frown as he shook his head at Cilan.

I bit my lip. "Well that's no good! Come on, sit down." I said as I pushed him toward the first empty chair we came to. He looked too exhausted to protest, but being Cilan he tried anyway.

"I'm fine really, let me cook something for you..."

"No! You'd just set yourself on fire at this rate." I shouted with a firm glare before I turned toward the kitchen.

Chili said down next to Cilan and I heard him chuckle. "Don't argue, you'll just lose, bro."

It wasn't like I could cook my way out of a paper bag, but I needed to do something for him… But as soon as I walked into the kitchen my eyes went wide and my heart dropped. There in the corner was a sleeping Fraxure. How did I almost forget about him…?

I crept over toward him before kneeling down. His face looked sad and his sleep was restless from the way he was fidgeting. I smiled and felt more tears well up behind my eyes. "Oh Fraxure…" I whispered as I gently reached to wrap my arms around him.

"U-Ure…?" I heard him sleepily mumble.

"No you're not dreaming…" I said softly when I pulled back to look at him.

"Fraxure!" He shouted excitedly and buried his head against my chest. I just hugged him tighter for the longest time. "I love you so much…" I whispered when finally we broke apart.

"Ure ure…" He mumbled back and I knew just what he meant. Because I couldn't just hear it, I felt it. Elder said it was a gift, that I could feel everything a dragon type did. I wasn't sure if I was really special, but right now I felt like I was… But not because of any talent, no just because so many amazing people cared about me…

Just then I heard the kitchen door slowly push open, and I saw a very weary, but still smiling Cilan come walking over to me.

"Fraxure was naturally extremely worried about you too…" He said softly. "Though I tried to offer him my special blend, he just wasn't interested…"

"Like someone else I know…" I said still feeling a little mad at him.

He smiled gently before staring down at the ground.

"Hey…" I spoke up slowly. "Cilan, please promise me you won't do something like this again…"

"Pardon…?" He asked seeming confused.

I frowned. "Take such terrible care of yourself I mean. Because…" I looked down and then back up at him. "What if something really bad _had_ happened?"

"Iris, please don't say that!" He almost shouted looking somewhere between angry and so hurt he could hardly stand it.

"Well what if it had?" I just shot back. "What were you going to do, just give up and let yourself go? Go until you got really sick?"

"But Iris…" He mumbled, but I didn't let up on him.

"No buts, Cilan! You wouldn't have wanted me to do that if it would have been you missing instead. If this is going to work, then we both have to be on equal terms."

I didn't bother to explain what I meant by _work_ , or what _this_ I was talking about. I knew what I meant, but I guessed he thought I was just talking about our detective partnership. So here I was, with another chance, the chance I thought I might not ever get again. Last night I'd had it all but said. So why was I still hesitating? Was it just because he looked too exhausted to handle what I needed to say right now? Or was it really me? Really that I was just too afraid of ever losing him again…? Because if he didn't feel the same then he'd be gone for good, wouldn't he…?

And then my words would come right back on me, wouldn't they? All that big talk about not giving up and letting yourself go… Maybe it was just too much, too much for either of us to handle right now…? Or maybe that was just an excuse too…?

"Just promise me...okay?" I whispered as I felt a few more tears fall down my face.

He smiled softly down at me, his face looking as kind and gentle as always. "Anything you'd like me to, Iris…"

I bit my lip before reaching to pull him into another hug. Burying my face in his shoulder I closed my eyes. "Promise me that...we'll be best friends forever…"

I knew he wouldn't really be able to keep that promise if he didn't feel the same way about me… He'd want to, he'd try to, but it just wouldn't be possible for either of us. Because sometimes, maybe all the time even...when you fall in love with your best friend...well you can't ever be exactly the same again. You can't just pretend that nothing happened. Yeah even though you'd never hate each other...you still would have to just let go...

Maybe it took until now for me to grow up enough to understand that but...now I got it. And nothing scared me any more than that. Because I didn't just want to be his best friend… There was a special place that I wanted just for myself, and I knew that it wouldn't work if I had to share it with someone else. So I only had one shot at it… One chance. And to take it I was going to have to risk everything else…

I felt him hold on a little tighter, and then he laughed softly. "Why Iris, I've already promised that..."

I pulled away gently until I was standing on my own and staring down at the floor. Everything I wanted to say was so close. So close I could almost taste how the words would feel to say. The flavor of love being as bittersweet as anything I'd ever bitten into. But I just took a few steps away and wiped my eyes. Then reaching for an apple sitting in a basket on the counter I tossed it toward him.

He caught it but looked a little confused, almost like he'd expected something else completely.

"Here, eat this, will you?" I said frowning and grabbing one for myself.

He nodded with a tiny smile, one that almost looked like a mask to hide his disappointment. But in what I wasn't really sure. Maybe I was just reading too much into things…? Or maybe I was just being a clueless coward…?

When we both walked out of the kitchen it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop, but from across the room I didn't think they could have eavesdropped on everything. Though I figured, just enough to be looking as confused as they did now.

Chili raised his eyebrows at me and I knew what question he was silently asking. I just shook my head and looked away. But glancing back I saw his forehead bunch into a frown. Then he rose to his feet and tried to sound casual. "Hey, give me a hand will you, Iris?"

I just sighed as I halfheartedly followed him back to the kitchen. Then turning around Chili frowned at me and almost started pulling his hair out. "You can't tell me he seriously just turned you down!?"

I shook my head and took a bite out of my apple. "No, I didn't mention it…" I mumbled between bites.

He tugged on his hair and grunted louder. "Oh you're kidding me! All that about duality and legendary pokemon comparisons, and you _didn't_ mention it!?"

I glared at him. "Just drop it Chili!"

He rubbed at his forehead seeming completely frustrated. "You're just so unbelievable… You do know that right? And hey, it's not just you, what's Cilan's deal either?! He practically killed himself worried about you, and hey he can't even spare a simple: 'oh by the way, I'm flipping in love with you!''

"Be quiet, will you!" I said suddenly worried the next town over had heard that.

Then he took in a few more deep fuming breaths. "And why are you still eating during all of this anyway…?"

I shrugged. "Hey we were just kidnapped and denied food for almost 24 hours!"

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I think? I think you two are bigger little kids than Ash and me put together!"

"Well that's just your opinion…" I mumbled, finally tossing the apple core in the trash across the room.

He balled his fists. "I don't know why I even bothered trying to help… I should have just wrote you some ridiculous love letter and forged his signature from the start!"

"Oh yeah, and that _doesn't_ sound like something a little kid would do!?" I shot back.

We were too busy yelling at each other to even notice when the kitchen door slowly crept open.

Then Cilan cleared his throat… "Could I interject something, please…?" He asked meekly.

We both turned to him and shouted in sync: "NO!"

But then doing a double take we both almost swallowed our tongues. Or at least I did… Chili on the other hand looked suddenly relieved. Throwing up his hands he walked toward the door.

"Good grief, shippers rejoice!"

I felt my mouth tremble into a nervous frown as my face washed red. "How m-much of that did you hear?"

He looked toward the floor and judging by how red his face looked too, well I thought the answer was pretty obvious. "Well…" He started to say. "You and Chili are both so spirited that it was very easy to overhear…"

I buried my face in my hands. "Oh no! I'm so embarrassed I could die! This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all!"

I heard Cilan take a few steps toward me, but I still couldn't look at him. All I really wanted to do was curl up into a ball and disappear. How much of a little kid must he have thought I was now!?

"Iris…" He said gently. "Don't you think we should talk about this face to face…?"

I wanted to shout back a loud: "no, just forget it!" But I knew that wasn't going to happen… It was way too late for that now... So I hesitantly peeled my hands away from my face and made myself slowly look up at him. All I could manage was to nod at his question.

He smiled a little even though he still looked so awkward too. "There that's better, isn't it?"

I frowned. "Uh yeah...I guess so…" Which was mostly a lie for sure.

"Now…" he started to say, and I cringed at every word. "Is what um...Chili was talking about true?" It was both amazing and annoying how composed he was trying to be, when I just felt like freaking out.

"Yeah it's true, okay?" I almost snapped.

"I see…" He mumbled as he tugged at his collar. "And this is what you were trying tell me last night? The something you said was very important?"

I folded my arms and nodded. "Yes it was… But a lot of good it did right…? Just for things to turn out like this…"

He wrung his hands together nervously before smiling a little. "You see, I wasn't aware that you thought of me as anything more than friend, the same as Ash or anyone else."

I frowned and hung my head to sigh. "Oh Cilan...please just stop trying to be so polite about it… It's okay, I get it, and I can handle it. I'll be okay." I said doing my best to put on a brave face and let him off the hook. In the back of my mind I wondered what I was doing, why was I blowing the one chance I had to ever be with him? But everything just felt so surreal and numb, and it wasn't like I really thought I had a fair shot anyway…

He frowned and didn't say anything, which almost confirmed it… Even if I was numb, I felt my heart sink down to the floor. Wow, that was it then…?

"We don't have to talk about it again, okay?" I said as I brushed past him and headed toward the door.

"I-Iris, wait…" He called after me, and so I stopped and glanced over my shoulder.

"I'm listening…" I mumbled.

He took a few steps closer to me before he reached for my hand and gently pulled me away from the door. Then letting go and balling his fists by his side he tried to go on. "Why are you so sure that I don't feel the same way?"

I felt a little better just then, like my heart was trying to rise out of my stomach, but I stifled it. It was still too soon to feel relieved…

"Iris, please answer me…" He said again, and his voice almost sounded like he was begging me.

I froze up for a second before I just shrugged. "I...um don't know I…" Then I looked at him and met his green eyes honestly. "I guess that would just be too good to be true, you know…?"

For a second his face didn't change at all, then I watched in disbelief as a tight smile rose to his cheeks. His eyes lost all the tiredness from them and they almost looked like they were sparkling. Then his face fell into a slightly calmer look.

"Love is the greatest flavor of all. But beside it's sweetness, it can have uncertain bitter overtones." He bowed slightly. "I wholeheartedly apologize for making you experience that untasteful side of love!"

I sighed almost smiling. "Cilan...you're making even less sense than usual."

He stood up straight and I watched as his face got red again. "What I'm trying to say is…" He paused and took a deep breath before softly smiling down at me. "I do feel the same."

Now it was my turn to lock up again. At first I didn't really believe it, but at the same time...maybe I shouldn't have thought it was that crazy? Maybe I should have seen it coming all along even?

But none of that really mattered now, did it?

"Seriously?" I asked simply, just to be sure.

He nodded, and turned even more bashful. "But I was afraid I was hardly your prefered type…"

I smiled a little. "You're _not_ my type, Cilan, which is exactly why you _are_ …"

He blinked at a loss. "Now I'm afraid you're the one not making much sense..."

I wanted to laugh, because I didn't really get it either. "Well...the way I see it… For every one half of something, there's another, totally different half. But what counts, is that when you put them both together...well they complete each other."

He balled his fists at his sides and almost looked like he was trying not to cry. "I'm honored but...how could it be that I complete someone as uniquely wonderful as you are, Iris?"

Seeing him cry wasn't something that happened very often. He was always the calm and collected one. Even a bit of a know it all at times. But right now... Right now he didn't seem like he thought he was more than a waiter.

I reached out to pat his arm, as I leaned up on my toes to kiss his cheek. When I pulled back I just looked up at him honestly, as all my nervousness somehow faded away. "Cilan… I love you, because you're pretty amazing yourself…" Then I smiled as he touched his cheek. "Even if you _are_ a little kid sometimes…"

I watched as he finally lost the fight with the tears he was holding back. So lunging forward to wrap me in another hug, he lifted me off the ground and spun me around the kitchen in his overly excited daze. "What a tasteful conclusion to confession time!"

I sighed to myself with a smile. Normal people just didn't talk like that…

But he wasn't normal, I knew that already, and hey...neither was I. So even though we still had a mystery to solve. Even though we had every reason to believe that it would be dangerous… Well I just couldn't think about any of that right then… Because no matter what happened from here on out…

Well it wouldn't ever change this moment.

So for at least right then...I couldn't have _wished_ for anything else…

 **Thanks for sticking with me, more to come soon! ;)**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 (Iris' POV)

"Yeah go on, go on!" Dawn prompted as her eyes got bigger with every new juicy detail I told her.

I sighed, almost sure I knew the story of the last two days by heart at this point. Not that I would have been able to forget it, even if I hadn't had to tell most of it to Officer Jenny already.

"So right out of the blue the guy, you know from before, with the eyepatch, appears and grabs me and Chili."

"What did you do!?" She squealed, interrupting for about the tenth time already.

"Getting to that." I said trying not to sound too annoyed.

"And most of all how did things go with Cilan? Big dramatic finish, with you both spilling your guts all over the floor?!"

I frowned and sighed again, somehow not even embarrassed anymore at this point. "Also getting to that."

"Yeah right, go on!" Dawn added in almost like I was the one stalling out the story. So I filled her in on all the rest of the details as best I could. Even though most of it was more than a little hard to say, I was just glad to get it over with. When I finished I just looked at her, waiting for what she'd say now that she had all the facts.

She ran a hand through her bangs and just shook her head, before grinning out at me. "So just like that? You're really dating him now?"

Leave it to Dawn to focus on that part…

I frowned a little and shrugged. "Uh I guess so…?"

She smirked and raised an eyebrow. "You guess? You don't even know if you're dating after you confessed that you're in love with him?"

I glanced off to the side, as everything that had happened over the last few days swirled around inside my head. "Well...it's just kinda hard to figure out." I rubbed at my sleeve. "He never said we were actually officially dating or anything…"

Dawn leaned back in her chair and waved away any point I thought I'd made. "Oh please, it can't be that confusing. How's he been acting since then? What have you both talked about?"

I leaned into my hand. "He made me breakfast and all, but that's just normal for us anyway."

"Oh yeah? What did he cook?" Dawn asked with an air about her that probably meant she was a dating connoisseur, to put it in Cilan babble.

"Waffles." I said with a shrug, not seeing her point.

"Any special flavor?" She pressed.

"Well it was apple…" I mumbled, knowing she knew it was my favorite.

A smug smile came to her face before she pushed it even further. "Any whipped cream or fancy toppings?"

I frowned, not really liking where this was going. "It had sprinkles and whipped cream yeah, but Cilan always likes doing fancy stuff like that." Then I rubbed at my chin thoughtfully. "Though come to think of it, he did send me flowers yesterday, so that's something too I guess…"

"You guess?" Dawn asked shaking her head. Then she pointed at me. "Don't let Ash's denseness get to you, Iris. Take it from me, you're definitely dating."

"You think so, huh…?" I mumbled a little shyly. But it wasn't just that, I still felt really worn out emotionally by everything that had happened, and I figured he did too. So if we needed a little time before we really talked about what happened, then I could understand it.

"Mostly, Dawn," I added in, and it felt good to tell somebody what I was thinking. "Things have almost been the same between us. So I was kinda worried that something was wrong… Isn't your relationship supposed to change after something like that?"

Dawn sighed and then smiled at me a little softer. "Not when you're already best friends. That's what made you fall in love with him in the first place, if things changed too much they wouldn't work. That's just how it is, Iris. But hey, he must be treating you at least a little differently, right?"

I closed my eyes and thought about it. The truth was he was the same old Cilan in so many ways, but… But he did seem different too, I guess. Mostly like he was in a really great mood all the time, way more energetic and over the top than usual even, which for him was saying something... But I didn't really know what to do or say that would be any different, so I just treated him the same as always. I didn't know… I still got the feeling I wasn't doing something right…?

"Well, he's been in a great mood since then but…"

"Hey, it's only been like two days, and you both went through a lot. Just give him time to come around. Besides, the thing is, with Cilan being such a gentleman to everybody already, it's just tough to see when he's trying to treat you specially."

"I guess so…" I mumbled not really feeling convinced.

But before I could say anything else, or even dwell on all my self doubt, I heard the doors of the pokemon center come sliding open. Which wasn't weird or anything, but the little footsteps I heard coming up behind me were. Looking over my shoulder I wasn't sure what I was expecting, until I saw Pansage and breathed a sigh of relief. I guess after everything that had happened with getting kidnapped and all, I was still a little jumpy.

Pansage hopped on my lap and smiled up at me. I scratched behind his ears, while Dawn just looked on, seeming curious.

"Pansage!" He said seeming pretty happy before he held out an envelope to me.

"What's this…?" I wondered out loud as I slowly opened it.

I read over it, and then reread it, just to make sure.

"Let me guess…" Dawn said, sounding about as smug as you could get. "He has his pokemon delivering his love letters?"

I felt my face get a little warm. "He wants me to have dinner with him tonight, at his restaurant I mean…"

"Date!" Dawn shouted triumphantly. "As in _dating_."

"I guess it really is…" I mumbled as my shoulders slumped awkwardly. "But it's just so hard to believe…"

I kept scratching behind Pansage's ears, even though my mind was wondering. "I never thought he'd like me too, or that I'd even like him that way in the first place. We were just friends… I figured it'd be like that forever, you know...?"

Dawn smiled at me, and I admit it felt really good to feel like I had a friend behind me. Then her eyes got a little distant. "Love can be funny alright... Usually you never see it coming until it's too late." She rubbed at the back of her neck playfully. "Otherwise I might have just ducked and tried to dodge it myself."

I laughed. "Yeah I guess I know what you mean."

"But it's not all bad, right?" She smirked playful. "These guys are sure clueless, and usually a pain in the neck, but you gotta love them, huh? Anyway, have fun tonight," she winked. "And make sure to tell me all about it! I mean unless he gets too heavy with the cheesy poetry or something, I don't think even I could stomach that… And stay safe, will ya!" She said sounding tough for a second. "Or I'll have to hop a plane and come rescue you myself.

I didn't doubt she would have if I was still missing. Because that's what was so great about friends. When we waved goodbye and the screen went dark I just sat there for a second. Then I looked down at Pansage in my lap and started to wonder about a million different things. One of them had a lot to do with what clothes to wear tonight, and another was mostly just a reminder of how much I hated dressing up fancy. But…

I looked down at Pansage and smiled a little. But it wouldn't be the first time I did something annoying just for Cilan, and I figured it wouldn't be the last time either… So like it or not, I knew what I had to do. It was Friday, and I knew his restaurant would be pretty busy, the last thing I wanted to do was make him look weird. Yeah I'd probably stick out like a sore thumb if I just went in my regular clothes anyway…

I still wasn't sure I'd fit in, but at least I could try and look the part.

"So what do you think, Fraxure?" I asked as I held my arms out and twirled around in a circle. He looked up at me and blinked a few times, the truth was I must have looked funny to him wearing a dress. I felt funny too, but I was at least trying to have a positive attitude.

"Ure…" Fraxure mumbled almost like he was somewhere between confused and impressed.

I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck. "Aw thanks. Anyway," I said turning toward my room door. "Guess it's about time we face the music…" I took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Suddenly I felt really nervous, but I wasn't sure why. Well I mean I got why, but...but it was still just Cilan no matter what had happened, right?

At least that's what I was hoping anyway, that things weren't going to be too weird between us. When we left the pokemon center it was already dark, and I could tell Fraxure was on high alert. He was extra protective of me, which I got considering what had happened. And I was kinda glad, I felt better knowing he was watching out for me. But I didn't have any plans of falling for any more of Slick's traps anyway. Yeah, even if it meant walking around a little paranoid...

The streets were kind of busy even at night in the city. It wasn't anything like back home, but in a way I was almost getting used to it. When I came to the gym though, nothing seemed like it usually did… On a Friday night the place was usually really busy, with people coming and going, but it just seemed quiet now. Too quiet…

Reaching for Dragonite's pokeball, I narrowed my eyes and crept up to the door. Taking a deep breath, to calm all the crazy ideas running through my head, I slowly pulled the door open. But instead of coming face to with some evil villain, I just saw Chili standing by the hostage stand, a cloth draped over his arm, and a smirk on his face.

"Do you have a reservation?" He asked playfully.

I just grinned a little awkwardly as I glanced around the dining room. Nobody else was here. Just Chili and Cress, who was lighting candles at one of the tables in the center of the room.

"Follow me, madame. " Chili teased with a cheesy accent as he gestured for me to follow him.

I hesitantly followed him over to the table with the candles. Seriously, candles…?

Cress pulled out my chair before gesturing for me to sit down. I did, but I still felt pretty confused. "Nobody's here tonight?" I asked as he scooted my chair in.

"Private reservation." Cress calmly explained with a smile.

"Imagine that." Chili added in with a grin and roll of his eyes.

Cress disappeared into the kitchen for a second and then came back with food for Fraxure. Chili got out a bottle of oran berry juice and poured it into a fancy glass that was sitting in front of me.

"We might be technically closed right now," he whispered. "But _I_ still take tips. Just saying…"

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. And for a second I knew we were thinking the exact same thing.

"Yeah I know, what a kid." He said for me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

But when I heard familiar footsteps walking toward the table, I froze. Froze as I watched a covered dish be placed in front of me, and then a plume of steam rise when the lid was removed. But I couldn't just sit there like an ice type of all things, so when I heard the seat across from me be pulled out, I looked up slowly.

"Good evening, Iris." Cilan said with a cheerful smile that made his eyes crinkle, and the slightest blush appear on his face. Mine was hardly slight…

"Uh h-hi Cilan…" I choked out, sounding about as nervous and stupid as I, well, apparently was…

Suddenly, everything I'd told Dawn about things being the same went out the window. Sure, candles and fancy stuff were right up Cilan's alley, but this… This just had to be different, even for him.

"Um this smells good…" I said glancing down at the plate and trying to make some form of conversation. Even though it was really a lame attempt at it… One thing was for sure, I didn't want things to be like this between us from now on. Because I was way too nervous and awkward to even act like myself.

"Oh I hoped you'd like it!" He said, almost deflating with relief.

I smiled a little. I guess it wasn't just me worrying.

Picking up my fork and knife I cut at a piece before looking back up at him. "So...you closed your restaurant tonight, just for me?"

He smiled and nodded, before he spoke softly. "It was the least I could, Iris. We haven't done anything special to celebrate our…" Then he trailed off and smiled awkwardly. "Well, this new flavor to our relationship…"

"Yeah about that um…" I mumbled, as I poked the plate with my fork. "Are um…" I took a deep breath and just tried to accept that nothing about this was going to be easy at first. If ever.

"Are we dating…? I mean really…?" I asked slowly, even though it felt really dumb to ask at this point.

He didn't say anything at first, so I got the nerve to look back up at him. He frowned slightly before shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"I was under the impression but…" He said slowly before his eyes widened and he suddenly seemed worried. "I haven't been too direct, have I?!"

I stopped him before he could launch into a massive apology. "No, you're been great." I smiled weakly and gestured around the table. "I mean you must have worked really hard on all of this. I um…" I rubbed at my sleeve. "I didn't say I _didn't_ want us to be dating, I just, you know, wanted to make sure we actually were…"

"Oh I see…" He said with an understanding nod before an awkward silence fell over the table.

I shifted in my chair, almost feeling like I had an itch I couldn't reach, no matter how I twisted or turned. But we had to work through this, we didn't have any choice. So, I decided to try and be the one to do it, I mean Cilan had already done enough. I tried to relax my tense shoulders and get my head on straight. It was still just Cilan...

"So…" I began as I tapped the table awkwardly. "People who start dating want to find out about each other, right?"

He nodded meekly, but didn't say anything.

"But we've already been friends practically forever so…" I almost trailed off again, but there was no way I could just let the awkward settle around us again. "So we know a lot about each other already, but…" Then I smiled at him. "But that doesn't mean we know _everything_. For instance…" I said slowly as I grabbed for something that had been on my mind for the last two days.

"You said you were worried that I wasn't your type before, right? And Chili kept throwing hints that you liked me for a long time now already. So what I mean is, did you really? You know, like me for a long time?"

It was kind of an awkward question, and I doubted it was a topic that would make things more comfortable, but maybe we needed to get used to talking about it. I didn't know, but I kind of hoped facing the issue head on would help us to feel more like ourselves after a while.

Cilan smiled softly. "The answer to that question is, yes."

"Really…?" I mumbled looking at him, surprised.

He nodded and smiled. "I admired you even during our first travels with Ash, but we were both very young then, and I wasn't sure if my feelings were just infatuation, so I decided to wait before telling you about them."

Why was I surprised that he was so sensible? I smiled a little and gestured for him to go on.

"But as time went on...well I gradually lost those two reasons as excuses." His eyebrows bunched into a frown. "The more time passed, and the older we became, I knew I was risking missing my chance. Once you became champion I knew your list of admirers would only increase." Then he smiled slightly. "But fortunately for me, you never seemed to be interested in romance of any sort. Though I soon realized that that attitude would keep me away as well…"

His face dropped a little, and I could see it still hurt him to think about it. "I had to assume that you simply hadn't met the right person to make you think about matters of the heart. Since we were already such good friends, I had to conclude that I just wasn't the right person for you. It wasn't very difficult to believe since we're clearly so different. But...as is always the case with matters of the heart, it was hard to simply apply logic. My feelings were the same even though we were nothing alike."

He looked more than a little embarrassed and his shoulders slumped slightly. "Sad to say, I haven't always handled things in a way that I'm proud of… As difficult as it might be to imagine, their were times I felt some envy toward Ash."

"Ash?!" I blinked, confused. "Why Ash of all people?"

Cilan frowned looking ashamed of himself. "Well, besides myself he was the only other person that you seemed very close to. And you two were alike in some ways that we weren't. Because of that I always feared he might one day make you think of love…"

I couldn't help but shake my head at him. Ash was my other best friend, and to say I loved him like that, even like a little brother even, was definitely true. But it was just different, very different. Even as dense as Ash was we both got that easily. I guess it was ironic, I mean to think Ash even understood something about relationships that Cilan didn't.

I smiled a little at him. "Ash is like a brother to me sure, but we've never thought of each other like that. And that's okay, we both love our relationship just like it is." My voice softened, and I really wanted to try and comfort him, he looked so down on himself about it. " You never had to worry about that, Cilan… But you don't have to feel so bad about being jealous, because you never let those feelings change how you treated Ash."

He nodded. "Yes I know, but I still feel awful about ever entertaining those thoughts in the first place."

"You're just human, Cilan. Give yourself a break."

He smiled weakly back at me. "Thank you, Iris… But it wasn't just Ash I was worried about, it was myself as well."

"Yourself? What do you mean?"

He sighed. "If I spent more time with you, I was afraid that I might just be pressured by my own heart into confessing to you…"

"What would have been so bad about that?" I thought back to how we had seen so little of each other over the past couple of years, was he trying to avoid me all along?

"Well…" Cilan began. "Our friendship was at stake, and I valued it even more highly than any possible romantic prospects."

"Oh…" I mumbled softly. "Yeah I get that too…"

"So...I resolved to simply keep my feelings to myself, and at least enjoy our lasting friendship. But I never expected us both to get involved in this investigation. I admit, under these circumstances, with you so near, it was getting very difficult to hide my feelings." Then he smiled wider, even though his face still seemed worn out. "But I never would have guessed you would be the one to bring up the subject first. So, what about you?"

I swallowed hard. "Oh me?" I asked even though I knew he was basically asking me the same thing I'd asked him. This definitely wasn't going to be easy but… I owed him the truth. So taking a deep breath I just tried to be honest.

"If you had asked me a few weeks ago if I was in love with anybody, then I would have told you it was a flat out no. Even about you… But that doesn't mean that I just started caring about you, Cilan. You were always special to me. Even though you could really get under my skin sometimes, I also really looked up to you. You had it all together it seemed like, plus you were a gentleman, which always made me feel safe, even when we first met. It wasn't hard to open up, or be myself around you. Yeah we were completely different, but…"

I smiled up at him, as a slight blush appeared on my face. "Secretly I liked that about you." Then I laughed. "Or at least most of the time. But you know, you're right about all the admirers. The older I got the more guys always seemed to be paying attention to me. And when I became champion it just got that much worse. I didn't really understand why, but either way I didn't like all the extra attention. And besides, I wanted someone to notice me for me, not just because I was the champion or something…"

I sighed before going on. "Anyway, I just didn't have a lot of interest in love I guess… I mean probably because I just thought it was like all those shallow guys that would try and ask me out. And I knew I didn't want anything to do with a relationship like that… But now...well I think it was more than just that…"

I rubbed nervously at my sleeve while he waited patiently for me to go on. "It was like no one else could possibly fit into that space, because it was already all filled up… Yeah, even though I didn't even know it myself…"

"Me…?" He asked humbly, as he pointed hesitantly to himself.

I huffed, feeling a little exasperated. "Well obviously, Cilan!"

He smiled and nodded again.

"So…" I added, finishing up. "Even though I was pretty dense about it, you shouldn't feel like I didn't care about you from the start too. Because in my own way, I did…"

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Iris…" He said slowly as his smile almost made his eyes glisten.

I nodded bashfully. "Yeah, you too…"

"Well…" he started to say. "I want you to know that I appreciate the honor of getting this opportunity and… And I'll do my best make you happy."

Right about then, he didn't look like the know it all connoisseur that could annoy me so badly. No, instead he just looked like a kind, but probably terrified person. And I knew he must have been as worried as I was about if we could make this work…

I smiled back at him before just turning my attention to my food. For a little while things were quiet between us, but it was okay, because it wasn't really awkward this time. After a little while, I tried to lighten things up by telling him all about my conversations with Dawn, and how she had us pegged from the beginning. He listened and laughed with me, and things almost felt just like they used to. In fact, by the time Chili was rolling out dessert I almost wasn't nervous at all.

Then as I was cutting into the tart, which seemed ironic for the occasion, Cilan got a little serious again. "Have you been taking Fraxure with you when you go out? I admit I've been rather worried after what happened… If you needed more protection I could ask Pansage to look after you?"

I grinned a little and shrugged. "That's sweet, Cilan, but I'm okay. Fraxure has been on high alert, and I still have Excadrill and Dragonite if I need some intimidating muscle."

Cilan smiled. "Yes, I suppose that's right... I rescheduled my interview with the antique collector, by the way."

"Oh right, you mean the one that owns the coin at the antique shop? The one with the symbol that matches the one in the 'Tale of Relics' book?"

He nodded. "The very same. I simply explained that an emergency had prevented me from keeping our first appointment. So I'll be heading over there tomorrow morning, if you'd like to join me that is?"

I nodded. "Of course, we've still got to figure this out." Then I frowned. "I don't want to be paranoid... but I just have this feeling we haven't seen the last of old Slick."

"Right…" Cilan's face darkened. "He's an evil desperate man, so I wouldn't put anything past him… Just thinking about what harm he could have done you, turns my stomach with such an unagreeable flavor!"

"Yeah I know…" I mumbled staring down at my plate. "He is a lot more dangerous than I thought at first."

"But try not to worry," he said as he reached over to put his hand on top of mine. "I promise I won't let any harm come to you this time."

I looked over at his hand on mine, and then up at him. Our eyes met and for a second I just focused on his. They were so green… I'd seen trees that same color back home in the village of dragons. In early spring when everything was fresh and new, and life was just starting out again. I wished I could have just been back home showing Cilan all those trees… The truth was, I had reason to be worried now… All the good things that had happened were distracting me from everything bad that had too, but it was still a reality. I'd been kidnapped, and even though nothing really bad had happened, it just showed how serious things were.

I wasn't afraid of standing up for myself, but right now… Right now I just felt like I had more to lose than ever before. Cilan was so worried about me getting hurt, but...what about him? In a way I felt bad that it had taken something like this to get us to be honest with each other. Because now I was hoping it wouldn't turn out to be just a little too late after all…

I reached to put my other hand on top of his as I cupped it between mine. "I just want you to stay safe too, okay Cilan?"

He smiled softly, but in his eyes I could see the same worry that I felt. "I promise I'll do my best, Iris."

Honestly, that didn't really feel like much of a promise at all, but I knew there wasn't else he could say. Neither of us knew what was coming next, and there really was only so much you could do to prepare.

That's all that was running through my mind that night, while I was lying awake. I was staring holes in the ceiling, listening to the rain hitting the roof of the center. I'd always worried about my friends, but now it felt so much worse. Just like those apple trees in spring, Cilan and me were just starting something new. But it would take time for anything to come of it. What was going to come of it?

I didn't mind waiting to find out, but... I just wanted to know that we'd both have the time to find out. That he'd be okay, that we'd both be okay… Lightning flashed in the window and I turned over and pulled the blanket a little closer around me. When I closed my eyes all I could see was his smile, and hear the way he laughed when he got excited about something that I thought was so silly.

Loving someone could hurt almost as much as it could feel wonderful. That's all I could think…

Yeah...think until I finally drifted off…

When morning came, it was still raining and I felt more than a little groggy, but at least I would get to see Cilan soon. Climbing down from the top bunk, I gently woke up Fraxure and got ready to leave. Cilan was reading a newspaper in the lobby when I walked out of the hallway.

I smiled and went over to him, but had to fight back a yawn. "Morning..."

He peeked over the top of the paper before folding it up under his arm. "Good morning, Iris, I hope you slept well?"

I shrugged. "Well, I don't know if I'd put it that way, but I'll be alright."

He nodded before looking toward the window and the soaking wet street. "It would probably be best if we took a cab, considering this untasteful weather."

"Sounds good." I said.

Honestly, I wasn't afraid of water, but getting drenched first thing didn't seem too great either. And it was really coming down… So stepping outside and staying under the center's overhang Cilan waved down a cab. When one finally stopped he wrapped his jacket around my shoulders before ushering me toward the car door he had opened. I slid into the seat, Fraxure got in next to me, and then Cilan. The driver straightened the rearview mirror until his dark eyes were staring at us from under his low brimmed cap.

"Where ya headed…?" He asked in a gruff tone, I found a little less than friendly.

"Oh," Cilan hesitated, before he adjusted his own trusty brown cap. "2472 Hazelbeech street, please."

The driver looked out at the soggy street as he pushed the rearview mirror back into it's original position. "Whatever floats it for ya…"

I rolled my eyes. This guy wasn't going to win any personalty awards, that much was for sure...

Cilan's face was pretty much focused, and I could tell he was thinking in his "detective way." He rubbed at his chin,and I had a feeling something was on his mind already. I almost didn't want to ask, and he didn't seem all that talkative right now anyway, so I just looked out the window. I'd never seen much of Striaton City, I mean beside the gym and main parts of town. But the area we were headed toward looked pretty fancy. Which made sense, this collector guy must be pretty rich after all.

"You the champ, aren't you?" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the cab driver say something to me.

"Huh, what was that?" I asked.

"You're the champ, right?"

I nodded slowly. "Uh yeah…"

Cilan's brow furrowed as he reached to gently squeeze my hand. But something told me he wasn't trying to be affectionate. I wasn't sure what he was trying to tell me so I just clammed up, not knowing what to do.

A gruff laugh escaped the driver, and it seemed creepy to hear it. "The papers were right, eh? Bout the two of you?"

Cilan didn't say anything, so I didn't either. But really, this guy was into the celebrity gossip columns…? Guess I had him profiled pretty wrong, after all.

He laughed a little more in his raspy voice. "I've been down these streets for sometime ya know, and I happen to know for fact that 2472 Hazelbeech is the justice of the peace."

I snapped my head around to look at Cilan, as my eyes got about as big as saucers. But I bit my tongue when he finally spoke. "Yes it is, but you wouldn't tell anyone we were ever here, would you?"

The man smiled and I guessed it was as close to friendly as he was going to get. "Yeah yeah, I don't talk about nothing I see. I get it."

With that Cilan settled back into his seat without taking the serious look off his face. I just frowned and looked down, my face about as red as it could get. The driver thought we were eloping? We weren't were we?!

I had a choice few things to say to Cilan, but I decided to play it cool and wait until we stopped. Sliding out into the rain, I just watched as Cilan payed the driver and stepped onto the curb.

"Hey, congrats!" The driver said winking at the two of us before driving off.

Neither of said anything, then Cilan reached for my hand and tugged me toward the front door. I wasn't sure if I should slap him or trust him, but I decided to go with the latter. When we stepped into the lobby a middle aged man looked up at us from his desk.

"Can I help you two with something?"

Cilan nodded with an awkward smile. "Yes, is there somewhere the two of us could speak privately, please?" He said gesturing between himself and me.

The man sighed and motioned us toward a sitting room to the left of the lobby. Cilan was gently pushing me toward the open doorway when the middle aged man sighed louder. "Hey you kids, at least try to think it over, it is for life you know…"

"Of course." Cilan said with a thoughtful nod before he closed the door behind us.

I turned around to face Cilan with my face glowing in about twenty different shades of red. Half of them from embarrassment, the other half from anger.

"Please tell me this wasn't some lousy way of asking me to marry you! Because this is way more creepy than romantic!" I shouted.

He blushed and shook his head. "No please, don't get the wrong idea, Iris."

I folded my arms and frowned. "What gives then?"

He walked toward the window and peeked out the blinds. "We were being followed… I needed a way to mislead them from our true destination."

I frowned, still having a hard time letting go of how awkward I felt. "So _this_ is the first thing that came to your mind? Couldn't you just tell the driver to bring us to a restaurant or a movie?"

He shrugged and rubbed at the back of his head. "My apologies, it all happened very suddenly. And besides...I needed it to still be relatively close to our true destination. It's only a short walk away from here."

I sighed with a huff. "Okay fine...that makes sense I guess, but how are we going to get out of here without being seen?"

"I'm working on that…" He mumbled to himself as he walked over to a door and yanked on it. "No good, it's locked…" But just then I heard an eerily familiar voice coming from the lobby. We both froze and listened.

"Are you the young man's father?" The middle aged man asked… Yeah, asked none other than Slick.

"Just a concerned friend." He said lying through his sleazy teeth. "Did they come in here?"

Cilan bit his lip as he looked around the room desperately. Then he grabbed my hand and yanked me toward a corner. "Put Fraxure in his pokeball!" He shouted in a whisper.

I wanted to question, but I knew I didn't have time, so I just recalled Fraxure and turned back to look at Cilan. By now he was pulling the grating off an air vent and shoving me in head first. I choked on the wad of dust I'd just inhaled, but I knew better than to stop crawling forward. I heard Cilan squeeze in behind me, and without saying anything else we both hurried through the tight space about as quickly as possible. I wasn't claustrophobic, but this was still anything but comfortable… It felt like forever before we started to see any daylight. Punching at the grate I was more than disappointed when all I got was a sore hand for my trouble.

"Are you alright?" I heard him ask from somewhere in the darkness behind me.

"Yeah, but the grate won't budge." I said back.

Surprisingly the next thing I heard was a pokeball opening. Then out of the darkness came Pansage's small figure. He was thankfully little enough to squeeze past us.

"Use bullet seed!" Cilan command him.

I covered my face and braced myself as I heard the seeds tearing through the rusty grate. When I opened my eyes I thankfully saw my path to freedom. Squeezing out I fell face down into the rainy puddle in the alley outside. I had half a mind just to lay there and rethink a few things about my life, but I felt Cilan gently pull me up by my shoulders.

"Are you alright?" He asked, even though his green hair was almost gray from dust and dirt.

I sighed and nodded weakly. "Yeah I guess so…"

He helped me to my feet before he grabbed my hand and tugged me quickly through a back alley. Then coming to a street he dived into a bush told me to keep my head down. A car drove by slowly, but I didn't think they saw us. Even so, we stayed still for what felt like an hour before we finally had the nerve to move. Then Cilan lead me across the street and through a few more alleys. The rain still hadn't stopped, so needless to say, we both were dripping, cold, and at least on my end, irritated.

And somehow I figured we'd lost all out subtly since we'd be going into this interview an hour late, dirty and soaking wet. But even with all that already against us, it just kept getting worse... When we finally made it to our destination and Cilan pointed it out, all I wanted to do was scowl.

"Great," I moaned. "Another creepy mansion…"

So _wishes_ you ask?

Well let me tell you, right then I just _wished_ I'd stayed in bed…

 **Thanks so much for the kind reviews, and continued support! Stick around for more coming soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 (Iris' POV)

"You know, Cilan," I said as I called Fraxure back out of his pokeball. "I don't want to be paranoid, but this really looks like a trap."

"Ure…?" Fraxure said sounding confused as soon as he saw how wet we both were.

"It's a long story, but we're okay…" I whispered as I patted his head.

"Hmm…" Cilan mumbled as he scratched his chin. "I admit that possibility has crossed my mind… But as it is, this is our only clue, and with Mr. Rigford's actions getting more and more desperate, I'd say we don't have much choice."

I sighed and tried to wring out my hair. "Yeah yeah, I get that… But I guess I just wish one of these leads would end up being less creepy…"

Walking up to the step Cilan glanced over his shoulder with a smile. "Collectors are often known for having a certain eccentric flavor."

I narrowed my eyes at the giant zubat door knocker. "Yeah...you can say that again…"

I was expecting more butlers since that's what Slick had at his creepy mansion, but I guess this guy was too weird to even keep one, because he answered the door himself. How did I know it was him, you ask?

Well, just trust me on this one. He was about a foot shorter than even I was, and next to Cilan he almost looked like a little kid. But that wasn't really the weird part, no the mismatched suit that was a blend of stripes and polkadots was more of what was setting the tone.

He squinted up at us from behind his thick glasses and slowly frowned. "I'd say I'm not interested in buying anything, if that's what this is about? Though..if you did happen to have any vintage wares I might reconsider."

"Uh no sir," Cilan said waving his hands in front of himself and smiling friendly. "We spoke earlier, and I had an appointment. Though I apologize that we're late…"

The older guy's eyes lit up and seemed to get twice as big behind his magnifying lens. "Ah, you must be Cilan!"

"Yes, sir, I am." Cilan added nodding.

"Well come right in then!" He said turning around and trailing back inside.

We followed him in and it was all I could do not to have my head swivel right off my neck. The place was packed with every kind of nic nack in existence! It was all pretty old and crusty, but with so much dust covering everything it all could have been new and still looked antique…

He lead us into a sitting room where a fire was burning, making the room pretty warm. Which actually felt pretty good considering I was wet and freezing. The man sat down and sunk into a large armchair, before he just stared out at us without saying anything at first. Then he smiled, and at least it seemed friendly.

"Tell me, my boy, who is your pretty friend?"

Cilan grinned a little bashfully before he glanced at me and then back at the collector. "This is my investigation partner, Iris."

"Ah so I see," he said leaning over into his hand. "Well, what a lucky man you are, when I was in the detective business I was partnered with a hairy fellow twice my senior."

"Hairy…?" Was all I mumbled, and it honestly seemed like the right question to ask.

"Oh yes, quite so in fact. He had a beard almost down to his navel, and a personally like a wet beedrill to boot. But in the end that beard was his downfall, he got it caught in an elevator door when he was hot on the trail of a suspect. Naturally I had to stop to fish him out, and so we lost our one chance at cracking that case." He leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Ah what memories though…"

Maybe "eccentric" was too nice a word? But at least he seemed harmless enough.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were once a detective, sir?" Cilan asked getting that giddy look in his eyes.

He laughed. "What did you think, that I was always just an old man surrounded by junky treasures? Yes it's quite a tale, but why don't you two change into something dry before we start in on that."

"Pardon?" Cilan asked seeming confused. I knew better that to bother being confused at this point...

"Well, I can see that you're dripping muddy water on my floor." He threw his head back and laughed. "Not that I mind, seeing as I don't collect floorboards!" After a while he wiped a tear from his laughing tangent and looked back out at us. "But it must not be very comfortable. Anywho, if you take the hallway over there and go in the first room to your right, you'll see I have a bit of a wardrobe. The style will be a bit dated, but at least it'll be dry! The restroom is just a few doors down from there, so please help yourself."

After we dug through the racks of clothes and found something in our size I disappeared down the hall toward the bathroom. I was going to smell like an old book, but at least I'd be dry. Even as weird as he was, I had to admit this guy was being pretty nice to us. It made me wonder exactly where he fit into all of this…?

After I got changed I headed back toward the sitting room, but something caught my eye on the way. It was an old photo hanging on the wall. It was in black and white, and seemed like a group of people celebrating something. One of the men in front must have been the collector, because even though he was so much younger, he was also way shorter than anybody else. I couldn't really tell what they were celebrating, but they were outside and all smiling at the camera.

I didn't think it was a family reunion or anything, because none of them really looked alike, but they must have been great friends because they had their arms on each others shoulders, and just looked like they all knew each other pretty well. The thing that got my attention though, was the two abras that were hoving to the side of the group. It wasn't like that really proved anything, but I couldn't help but think about the eyepatch guy…

But before had time to wonder anything else I heard a loud scream hit my ears like a knife. Worst of all, I didn't have any doubt that it was Cilan. Frowning, I glanced down at Fraxure, who was loyally following me. I told him with a look to be ready for anything. Then I ran down the hall and toward the room I'd left Cilan in. My heart was in my throat and beating a million times per second, so I ran as fast as I could. As soon as I got closer to the door though, it flung open and Cilan spilled out into the hallway and almost crashed into me.

'What happened?! Are you okay?!" I shouted as I tried to brace up his trembling shoulders. I looked him over for second, almost expecting to see some horrible wound, but he looked just fine. Or at least physically, anyway.

He slowly looked up at me before pointing a shaking finger back into the room. So following where he had pointed I narrowed my eyes and prepared for the worse. One thing was for sure, if Slick showed his greasy head again, than he he was going to get a taste of Fraxure's dragon rage. But far from being any real danger, all I saw was a little purloin walk out toward us, before stopping to lick its paw.

I hung my head and sighed. Well that explained it… "Just a purloin…? Really Cilan? Look, I know you're afraid of them, but did you have to scream like that, I thought you were really hurt?"

"M-My apologies, Iris…" he whispered, his teeth still chattering. "But it surprised me and…" he paused as if he was recounting a horrible tragedy. "R-Rubbed against my leg…"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because that's what purloin do. Seriously Cilan, you need to get a handle on this phobia. This is a little embarrassing for _both_ of us…"

But to make things worse, the purloin starting walking toward us. I felt Cilan lock up as his face got even paler. So stepping in front of him I leaned down to pick up the pokemon and drop it off on the other side of the room. Then walking back out into the hall I pushed Cilan's almost lifelessly stiff body toward the sitting room. "There, hopefully it won't follow us."

I directed him toward the sofa where he collapsed with a grim look on his face. I just shook my head and plopped down next to him.

"Oh good to see you back," the collector said with a casual smirk. "After that shriek, I thought you might have been murdered."

"Cilan has a childhood phobia of purloin, he didn't realize one was in the room. So…" I glanced over at Cilan wondering how to word it nicely. "He was surprised."

"Oh little Perry?" The collector laughed. "He wouldn't hurt anyone, he just likes a good rub and scratch from visitors."

Cilan swallowed hard and seemed to be trying to regain his composure. He tugged at his button up collar and balled his shaking fists on his knees. "R-Right… A-Anyway… I wanted to ask you a f-few questions…?"

"Yes please, go right ahead!"

Cilan hesitated before taking a deep breath and almost looking like his old self again. "Yes I...um we, were wondering what you could tell us about the novel 'A Tale of Relics?'"

The collector's eyes went a little wide before he frowned a little and pressed his fingertips together. "Quite the story that one… I happened to have the honor of knowing the author on a personal basis."

"Really?" Cilan asked seeming surprised. I guess I was too.

The collector nodded before slowly standing and walking over to his bookcase. Thumbing through the spines he stopped on a certain book and pulled it out. "We detectives are usually more interested in facts, than the ones that were simply invented of imagination, but sometimes the line between the two can blur, can't they?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He turned back around to face us, and walked over with the book he'd pick out in his hands. Sitting back down he turned a few pages in what looked like an old journal. "What part of the story interests you two?" He asked ignoring my question.

"Well…" Cilan started to say carefully. "I deduced that the symbol on the page numbers was also the same symbol found on a coin you loaned to the anquice exhibit in town."

The collector smiled at me. "Ah, looks like your friend here sure is a sharp one." Then he turned back to Cilan. "And yes, you're very right." He laughed. "And I suppose you think I have something to say about it all?"

"Well...yes sir, that is what we were hoping." Cilan answered.

The collector sat up in his chair and smiled slowly. "It's a story almost as fantastic as the one my friend the novelist wrote… Yes old Davie and me went back quite a ways, back to my detective days even. He was an archaeologist too, as you may already know, and even though he's known for discovering the Striaton gems, that was small compared to what he wanted to accomplish. You see, many years before that, he found the coin you mentioned, the one on loan now. He didn't tell many people about it though, just his close circle of friends and colleagues. I happened to be one of them though. Oh yes I was young and confidence, just cutting my teeth on detective work back then. And I was hungry for a juicy case! So imagine when he told me he'd discovered an artifact that was tied to the largest mystery in all of Unova!"

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "What detective could ever turn down an opening line worded like that. So I was in, oh yes indeed I was in. Soon I had my nose in the dirt the same way old Davie had his. But besides that first coin, nothing else ever came of it, just the inspiration for his novel. That must be why Davie put that symbol in his story, if just for old times sake. But just because we couldn't figure it out, doesn't mean that there wasn't something to figure out. Yes, I almost expected some young upstart like you to try and take a crack at it!" He laughed and smiled warmly.

It was easy to tell this really did mean a lot to him.

"So no, I can't solve this one for you, but I can tell you the story, the story of the legend. Who knows, maybe it'll mean more to you two than it did to Davie and me all the way back then?" He shifted in his seat before looking back out at us.

"They say that our fair Unova is held in place by the powers that be. Those powers being Reshiram and Zekrom of course. Those two mighty pokemon are the force that balances the land, yes?"

"Right…" I said thoughtfully. "I was told stories like that too. That without them balancing things, peace wouldn't be possible in Unova."

The collector smiled. "Well, my my, you certainly are much more than _just_ a pretty face! And you're exactly right, my dear, the two are needed to keep the peace, or should I say hold the balance? At any rate, yes they are known as the guardians of Unova for a reason, because Unova needs them. The legend goes that our Unova is resting just over a special line of energy on our planet. This line is the spot where the two opposing natures of our natural world meet. They meet but come just short of touching. Like star crossed lovers they walk side by side but never truly unite." He laughed a little. "Oh but they can't forever fight the way they're drawn to each other, because nature itself pulls them toward one another. So the force of these two lines of power being drawn into each other creates quite the uproar, yes? Yes indeed it does!" He laughed again. "And to think this love story is happening under our feet every day!"

I shifted in my seat a little uncomfortably. Yeah this was starting to sound familiar…

Then he cleared his throat and went on. "Well the massive effects of this power, or energy, rushing to meet would be quite the disruption on the weather patterns of our fair Unova, very possibly even making life impossible here. So they say this is where Reshiram and Zekrom come in. The two are embodiments of those opposing energy flows, and keep things in balance in a unique way."

"The dragon scales...right?" I whispered looking up at him.

He tilted his head like he was surprised I knew what he was talking about, then he nodded. "Yes indeed, the dragon scales, yes. But…" Then he narrowed his eyes at me. "You know, you have a certain look about you, my dear… Would you happen to know a thing or two about dragons…?"

I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck. "Actually I grew up in the village of dragons, I heard the story of the scales from an Elder there. I didn't really get it all when I heard it as a child, but I never forgot hearing about it."

"Why don't you help your friend out then?" He gestured for me to explain it to Cilan.

I nodded slowly. "Okay well…" I looked up to focus on Cilan's green eyes. But I guess it felt funny telling him of all people about it. Sure I'd sort of mentioned it before but…

"Elder says that somewhere underground there are two special dragon scales, one from Reshiram and one from Zekrom. The two were overlaid and placed right above the point where the two lines of opposing power are trying to rush together. I don't really get how, but they say that as long as the scales are touching the power lines in the planet are satisfied, they stop trying to rush together because the balance they were trying to achieve is met by the scales, or something like that anyway…"

"Oh I see…" Cilan looked down thoughtfully. "That's fascinating… And might explain some of the symbolism used in the plot of 'A Tale of Relics.'"

"Right you are…" The collector pointed out. "So it was Davie's dream to find the scales, because the coin, inscribed with the symbol of the scales, seemed to point to his being close." Then he shrugged. "But those were just dreams of the young, and poor Davie passed away without finding any further trace of the scales. But, we both had already thought it might have been for the best…"

A serious look drifted onto his normally jolly face. "Some people seem to think that if the scales are in fact real, that they would be quite the treasure, even a new power source of some sort. As always, money and ambition can very quickly mingle with good motive and a sense of curiosity in discovery." He looked at us hard. "Personally, I think it's better that the scales rest just as they are… If the legend is in fact more that just a fanciful tale, then they must be left as they are, if Unova is to survive."

For a little while the three of us didn't say anything. It was almost like we were trying to take it all in, to wrap our heads around it all. I wasn't really sure if the stories were true, but I wanted to believe Elder. If they were, and it was the scales that Slick was after… I felt myself swallow hard.

Then more could have been at stake that Cilan or me had ever guessed…

"Sir," Cilan said with a worried look on his face. "Are you aware that recent burglary attempts have happened in connection with 'A Tale of Relics" and its artifacts?"

"Hmm, you don't say…" The collector mused. "Well no, I can't say that I'd heard about anything like that, but then I don't get out very much now do I! Though even if they stole the book and my coin, that wouldn't be enough to solve this mystery. While it's troubling to think that someone of dubious motive is interested in the scales, I doubt they'll get very far."

I frowned as I thought about what he said. Maybe this was something better off left alone. But it wasn't like Slick was just going to leave me or Cilan alone. When I thought back to what he'd said when he kidnapped me, it was obvious he thought Cilan knew more than he did… The scales had been hidden for thousands of years, so it seemed like a pretty big secret for one evil creep to figure out, but still… We had some of the clues, but they weren't enough, so what if Slick had others that we didn't have? And then there was the eyepatch guy, what did he know about it? It made me worry that if we all put what we knew together we might actually be able to figure this out. And if we did, then all of Unova would be in trouble, right…?

"Perhaps…" Cilan whispered, but he looked about as unconvinced as I was.

"So was that all I could help you two with?" The collector asked raising his eyebrows.

I glanced over at Cilan, wondering if he'd ask anything else. But before either of us could, we heard the front door open. I clenched my fist until I felt nails digging into my palm. And from the sudden look on Cilan's face we both were thinking exactly the same thing…

But the voice we heard next wasn't Slick's at all.

"Rare for you to have visitors, Uncle."

We turned around to look at who had just walked in, but when we did our jaws almost dropped.

He was a middle aged man with one very familiar _eyepatch_ …

With his one good eye he stared at us suspiciously, before his Uncle, the collector, broke the awkward silence.

"Oh yes, we were just having a nice little chat, this is-" But eyepatch cut him off.

"Gym leader Cilan, and Unova Champion Iris, yes I've heard of them." He said in a curt tone.

The collector blinked and seemed confused before grinning. "You don't say! Well, my my, I had no idea I was entertaining such distinguished guests!"

Wow, he wasn't joking when he said he didn't get out much... Not that I minded someone not recognizing me for once.

Mr. Eyepatch still didn't take the suspicious look off his face, but neither did I.

"Anyway…" He started to say. "The rain is still coming down pretty hard, so if you two don't want to get soaked, I suggest letting me give you a ride back to your gym."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He may have rescued me and Chili before, but it didn't take a "detective genius" to get the he wanted us out of here. He may have not liked Slick either, but I got a funny feeling that was just because he had his own agenda. And us figuring it out wasn't on it.

"Oh how thoughtful of you, Cole." The collector said, clueless that it was anything but a friendly offer.

Trap was written all over this, so I was just about to open my mouth and tell him we'd be walking, or even taking another cab, when Cilan stepped all over my tongue.

Standing he smiled a little at Eyepatch, or Cole I guess. "We'd appreciate that very much, thank you."

I glared over at Cilan, mouthing: "we would?" But he just ignored me and turned back toward the collector.

"Thank you very much for answering our questions, sir."

The collector laughed and smiled in his friendly way. "No problem at all, it was my pleasure." Then he winked. "Just remember to take care of your pretty friend. Though being champion, I imagine she might just be taking care of you!"

I wanted to shake my head and tell him he had _no_ idea...

Cilan just gave a nervous laugh before he reached for my hand and we followed Cole out. I knew Cilan always had something up his sleeve, but that didn't mean it was any easier to just walk into a trap. So to say I was on edge when I slipped into Cole's backseat was an understatement.

I didn't get it, why had he saved me? Just to take away the leverage Slick had, then why didn't he just kidnap me for his own leverage after that…? The rainy scenery was rolling by and so far we were on the right road to be headed to the gym. But I still wasn't letting my guard down, it was obvious that he didn't want us snooping around, so was he really just going to let us go?

"Don't you think, you should leave investigations to the Police?" He finally said breaking the silence.

Cilan frowned and put on a tough face that was clearly challenging him. "Regardless of who investigates, justice and truth will always win out."

Cole frowned and shook his head, before sighing. "Truth and ideals, huh? What a familiar story… Look, I know you suspect me, but I'm not a thief. Or a villain either. But that doesn't mean I want you snooping into business that isn't any or your's. Leave my Uncle out of it for one, he's old and doesn't need to know what the papers have been saying about me." He threw a glare in the rear-view mirror and aimed it right at Cilan.

"What you've been telling them to print."

"I only reported the facts as I saw them." Cilan countered calmly.

"But you were wrong about them, all the same. So I suggest you quit trying to play detective and just leave me alone."

Cilan frowned and it was easy to see that wording didn't sit too great with his honor. "True detectives are duty bound to bring all criminals to justice, and I'm just the same!"

"Then turn in that dirty Rigford, he's the one who kidnapped your family, not me!"

"Yeah…" I cut in trying to defuse things a little. "I wanted to thank you for saving me the other day. I might not get what's going on, but I do know that was a nice thing to do, so thanks, okay?"

Cole took a deep breath almost like he was trying to calm down before he just nodded at me.

Cilan's face fell a little and for a second I thought he almost looked a little guilty. "I appreciate that as well… But I don't understand...if you're not a criminal, then why don't you just help us to bring the truth to light? Your name could be cleared, and the true villain brought to justice."

"Because things aren't that simple," he said. "Life is never as clear as black and white. There are more shades of grey than I imagine you've ever seen in your young life. Live another decade or two and you might understand. But if you really want to make it that far, than I'd leave people like Rigford alone. I might not be able to be there the next time he has his boot on the neck of everything you care about…"

He frowned and for once I thought he almost looked worried about us. "You two are practically still kids, to be getting mixed up in something like this."

I saw Cilan clench his fists in his lap, and for a second he didn't look like himself at all. Mostly I just thought he was worried. Worried about me…

"The thing is…" I said speaking up. "Rigford is after us no matter what we do now. No matter how dangerous he is, we don't have any choice but to face him."

"You could leave, disappear from Striaton until things cool off." He answered back.

I shook my head. "No, what good would running do?"

Cole looked impatient with me. "Keep you alive for one. Or do you both think you're just playing a game when the very balance of Unova is at stake? You get as far away from here as possible, and I'll deal with Rigford."

I didn't even realize we were already at the gym until I felt the car stop. Turning around in his seat Cole looked between me and Cilan before focusing on just him. "Forget about truth and justice and keep the people you love safe. Do it before it's too late and you regret it…"

It didn't sound like a threat, no just...someone speaking from experience, maybe. And it didn't take much to guess what Cilan was thinking from the look on his face. I knew I was going to hear it as soon as we were alone. And sure enough, when we walked back inside, he trailed toward the kitchen and halfway up the stairs before he sunk down to sit on one of the steps.

I followed him and decided to just face it head on.

"Look, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not leaving you. So don't even bother bringing it up."

His shoulders slumped before he shook his head and looked up at me pleadingly. "You have no other choice, Iris..."

"You always have a choice, and we already talked about this, remember?"

He sighed before looking back up at me. "Yes, I know, but…" He slowly stood and took a few steps down until he was standing face to face with me. His face got a weak smile that looked so close to crying... "But I can't bear to lose you…"

I wasn't sure what to say...but he went on before I could anyway. "You're brave and resourceful, and it has nothing to do with me lacking faith in your ability. But... none of that changes that I feel responsible to protect you the best way I know how. Even with so many strong pokemon on our side, we just don't know what might happen next. We have no way of knowing if we'd be prepared for it." He looked down before glancing back up at me. "Cole is right about so many things…"

I felt tears welling up behind my eyes, but I wasn't about to show them right now. "How do we know he isn't just trying to get us to give up, to stop trying? He could be just as behind this as Slick?!"

"Iris…" he whispered slowly. "You should go home, to the village of dragons. I think you'll be safe there." Then his face got a little firmer. "I have to insist."

I took a step back before I balled my fists and felt the tears run down my face. "Selfish!" I shouted as I was about to turn and leave.

But before I could, I felt his hand on my wrist, and even though I didn't want to, I couldn't stop myself from looking back at him. His face was twisted into such a sad frown that my anger stopped in its tracks.

"Iris...please don't be angry with me…" He whispered before pulling me into a hug. "I don't think I could bear that either…"

I just stiffened at first, but the longer we stayed like that...well more I knew holding onto my temper wasn't going to help. So closing my eyes I buried my face in his shoulder as I gave into all the tears I was fighting. I knew he was just worried about me, that it was just proof of how much he cared about me... But it didn't change the way I felt either. So I pulled back and looked at him.

"Cilan...I understand why... But sometimes...not even you know the best way to protect me. Because you think just keeping me physically safe is enough…" I shook my head. "But it's not, Cilan. If you really want to help me, then you have to learn to help yourself too. And sending me away won't stop me from worrying about you, and… And if something does happen to you, then what… Who's going to protect me then?" I looked down and shook my head again.

"Not that it would matter much then anyway…" I bit my lip before snapping my head back to stare him straight in the eyes. "It's not as simple as it used to be, Cilan, we're not kids anymore, and you can't just send me away to ease your own mind. I told you that was selfish before, and I still mean it." I felt my frown widening, even though I tried to keep my tone even.

"You think you're doing it for me, but the truth is… It's a lot for you too…" I closed my fists slowly. "We're both so new at this... So I'm not really mad that we got it wrong right from the start but… But that doesn't change that we have to face things together, we have to keep each other safe, if not just for ourselves than for the good the other person. So, am I right or wrong, what do you think?" I finally asked without taking my eyes off of him.

He hesitated and I saw his forehead bunch in stress, before he nodded slowly. "Of course you're right, Iris. But...that doesn't mean we can just ignore the danger and do nothing…"

I shook my head again. "I'm not saying that either. But if you think I should go, than I think we _both_ should go. After all, Slick wants you as much as he does me."

Cilan ran a hand through his hair before he sighed. "I thought I was being sensible, but now I'm not so sure…" He looked disappointed in himself, and it hurt to see that.

"No Cilan, this is just really hard for both of us... And besides," I mumbled trying to smile slightly for him. "If you could figure it all out by yourself, than what use would I be?"

It wasn't much, but the littlest grin appeared on his face before he nodded. "We should tell Ash, and Chili…"

Just then the kitchen door came slowly creeping open and Chili and Ash peeped around the side, a guilty look on their faces. "We may or may not have been listening to most of that…" Chili said before he coughed into his hand.

I just rolled my eyes. "Obviously…"

Next Cress swept into the room and gave Cilan a serious, but still calm look. "Things seem to be far more dire that we first thought, I take it?"

Cilan nodded, a despondent look on his face. "I'm afraid so, Cress… I'm worried for you and Chili as well. We've already seen Mr. Rigford is willing to endanger the two of you as well."

"Then we should all go." Ash suggested.

"And just leave the gym closed down?" Chili asked seeming shocked.

"It would only be a temporary leave of absence, Chili." Cilan said calmly. "And I think it is for the best, we should leave tonight, when the chance of being followed is less likely."

"Well, I hate running away!" Chili said crossing his arms.

I frowned at him. "Yeah I know, but it beats getting clubbed over the head for staying around here."

"There is a saying," Cress added in. "That one who knows when to retreat, can live to fight another day."

Ash sighed before frowning. "Yeah I guess that makes sense…"

But it didn't take much to know how most of us felt about this plan. Ash, Chili, and me too, all hated the thought of just running away. In fact, I was surprising myself that I was even willing to go along with it at all. But things were different now… And if it meant keeping Cilan safe, than I was willing to take the hit to my pride. That night, under a full moon, and all those dull city stars, we loaded up in Cress' car and headed out.

Chili pouted until he gave in and joined Ash in snoring away. But I was far from feeling like sleeping… Cilan was on high alert, trying to make sure we weren't followed, and Cress had his focus on the road ahead. I was going home… I was getting my wish too I guess. To be able to forget about this case, and just spend time with Cilan. But the thing was…

I didn't feel happy about it at all… Instead, I kept wondering if we were just making a huge mistake? If we were really playing into the hands of some evil plan we couldn't see? But what else could we do… What should we have done?

I wasn't sure… But I had so many mixed feelings about this homecoming. What would Elder say if she knew I'd just ran away like this? What would Dreyden say…? Was I really stronger now, was I finally an adult to them…?

Was I finally an adult to myself…?

If for no other reason, I thought just maybe I was… Because it has a lot more to do with experience than just years. And maybe being willing to put the ones you love above everything else, was the most adult thing I could have ever done…

So as we slipped away into the darkness that night, I felt a least a little proud of myself for that…

When we were finally clear of the city and nothing but back roads was in front of us, Cilan finally leaned back in his seat and seemed to relax. Reaching forward into the front seat I put my hand on his shoulder without saying anything. He didn't either, all he managed was a weak smile back at me.

So in the face of it all, all those talks of duality and responsibility. Of finally feeling like an adult…

Well, they just made me _wish_ more than ever that I didn't have to be one…

That both of us could have just been little kids again...

 **More coming at ya soon! :) Thanks so much for the reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 (Iris' POV)

But like it always does, things tend to look brighter in the morning… And when I realized we were so close to home now, well it did manage to put a smile on my face. I knew these hills and forests like the back of my hand, and it felt really nice to see them again. Almost like an old friend giving you a hug when you needed it most. So taking in a deep breath I tried to limber myself up, yeah, even though I was cramped in the backseat with Ash and Chili.

Looking toward the front seat I saw that Cilan was driving now, and I wondered when he'd switched out with Cress last night.

"Want to take a break for breakfast?" I asked as I leaned forward with a smile.

His eyes looked heavy with sleep, and I figured he could use a nap after breakfast too. He smiled back at me and nodded. "Yes, I brought supplies, I could cook something..."

I shook my head as he pulled the car on the side of the road. "No, you've done enough already, let me get breakfast this time."

He looked a little confused at first, but seemed too tired to argue when I threw open the car door and disappeared into the forest. Taking in a deep breath I couldn't help but smile. It even smelled like home already! Heading toward the first fruit tree I noticed, I climbed it and got an armful of berries before carefully hopping down.

"Okay I got-" I said as the car came back into view. But I stopped short, because when I got back I saw him slumped in his seat a little bit. I just smiled and sat the berries gently in a pile. It was good to finally see him not looking so worried at least. After making sure that everyone else was still asleep, and not watching... I walked back over to him.

"Good morning, and goodnight, Cilan…" I whispered, before I leaned to kiss his forehead.

Since everyone else was still asleep I just decided to take a walk. I was so close to home, and it had been so long since I'd been back. I guess I was wondering if the village had changed much since I'd been home last. I stopped walking and looked over at Fraxure.

I guess I'd changed a lot in all that time… Or at least in the last few weeks I had.

"Ure!" He shouted as he suddenly ran ahead.

"Hey, what is it, Fraxure?!" I asked as I chased after him.

But then he stopped at the top of a hill, and I did too as soon as I got there. How could I have not realized…?

I felt my face fill with a smile as I looked down into the valley below us. There were lots of playful axew wrestling with each other, and a few sleepy haxorus keeping an eye on them. Zweilous squabbling with its two heads, and even a few hydreigon. But more than that… I got a funny feeling inside my chest when I looked down at all the buildings that seemed so tiny from here.

It was home, my home.

And even though the circumstances weren't the greatest, I was so happy to be back. Just like Cilan and Ash, I hadn't even realized how much I'd missed home until I saw it again. I wanted to just rush down the hill and get there as soon as possible, but… But instead I slowly sunk down to my knees and reached to hug Fraxure closer to me. Leaning into him I smiled. And right then, well I could have really believed that everything would turn out just fine. For all of us…

Reaching for my pokeballs I called out everyone. Emolga stretched and yawned before gliding over to the nearest fruit tree, for a snack.

I grinned at Excadrill. "We're back home, Excadrill."

He looked down the hill, almost like he couldn't believe it either, before glancing back at me with a calm smile and nod. "Exca."

I smiled back at him before turning to face Dragonite. Reaching out to put my hand on his side I looked up at him. "I know this hasn't always been home for you, but I'm still glad we get to share it with you."

He looked down at me, and to most people his face would have been a mystery to figure out. But we'd known each other for so long, that it wasn't any secret to me. And I...well I could always feel everything a dragon did.

"Let's see how it looks from up there, huh Dragonite?" I said pointing to the sky above us, before I climbed onto his back. He sighed, trying to seem indifferent as usual, but holding on tight I just laughed at that.

"Just wait there, we'll be right back you guys!" I shouted, waving down to Fraxure and the others.

"Ure, ure!"

Dragonite kept rising until Fraxure looked like a little speck, in fact almost the whole village of dragons did too. But I didn't mind, I wasn't afraid of heights at all. No, instead I thought the air seemed easier to breath up here. I leaned my forehead against Dragonite's back as I closed my eyes. Especially when you got to share it with a friend…

I wouldn't have minded staying up there like that forever, so it wasn't a surprise that I was losing track of time. I felt the wind rush through my hair as the cool air tickled my face. Throwing my head back I couldn't help but laugh as Dragonite darted faster and faster. Just from touching him I could tell what he was feeling, so I knew he felt as light and free as I did. Because we were free here, weren't we? No troubles could find us here, it was just about me, Dragonite, and this feeling…

And I thought I needed that now more than ever…

When Dragonite was finally panting for breath I patted him and suggested we come in for a landing. He nodded and did just that. Little by little the ground came back into focus until I could see Fraxure and Excadrill. But I felt my smile widen even more when I noticed Cilan sitting down on top the hill next to them. He still looked a little sleepy, but he was slowly munching an oran berry that Fraxure had probably handed him.

When we touched the ground again I carefully slipped off of Dragonite's back, before I went to sit down in front of Cilan. "Feeling better now?" I asked.

He nodded with a little smile. "Yes, I think that nap was just what I needed."

I looked over my shoulder and pointed down at the valley. "Well, looks like we made it, huh Cilan?"

He nodded again, before his smile softened, almost like he was thinking of something important. I wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he finally spoke up.

"It's certainly beautiful…" he whispered before looking over at me and chuckling a little bit. "I would say your home has rubbed off on you in that way."

Like a little kid, it took me a second to get what he was trying to say, but then I frowned as I hugged my knees and looked down awkwardly. "Aww come on… Now you're just making me blush…" The truth was, it had only been a few days, and I really wasn't used to all the attention just yet. Not that it wasn't nice at the same time…

Looking back up at him slowly, I smiled a little bit. "Thanks, though."

He grinned wider, before he stood and gently brushed a few bits of grass off his neat dress pants. "The others should be awake by now, I suppose we should go tell them we've arrived."

I nodded as I stood too, but… I looked up at him and smiled. " Yeah, probably but… They'll catch up, why don't we go ahead?"

He hesitated for a second, being overly sensible like always. But I was anything but sensible most of the time. Reaching for his hand I tugged him down the hill as I started to run. "They'll catch up for sure! But I can't wait! Come on, Cilan, let's go see everybody!"

"I-If you insist!" He shouted in between gasping for breath. I just laughed, he was still as out of shape as ever. Just another way we were anything but alike. But as I felt his hand in mine, and his fingertips holding on for dear life, well...I knew none of that mattered. Because different or not...this felt just perfect to me.

The sun was high, and just like the rain, I felt like we'd left all our worries back in Striaton too. At least for now, I really had gotten my wish… All of them.

"Iris, is that you!?" I heard someone ask as we raced past them. I looked over my shoulder and waved.

"Hey, Mrs. Durbin! Yeah it's me, I'm back!" I shouted without slowing down. I just heard her laugh before she went back to tending her flowerbed. The closer we got to the village square the more houses we passed, and soon I figured everybody would know I was back. Anybody who was outside waved, and a few of the younger kids in the village even started to follow us. Finally making it to the village center, I stopped and started to take in deep breaths. Above us were the two statues of Reshiram and Zekrom, and all around us were welcoming faces.

"Champion, Iris!" One of the kids said as he got an awed look on his face. I smiled and reached to ruffle his hair. "Yeah but, you can just call me Iris, I like it better that way, okay?"

He nodded clutching his tiny axew to his chest. Wow...looking at both of them really did make me feel old… Kneeling down I scattered the axew under its chin.

"Looks like your new friend is really healthy and strong too."

"You really think so?!" He asked, his eyes getting big.

I nodded. "Yeah, you bet!"

"What about my deino, Iris?!" A little girl asked as she nudged her way to the front of the group of kids. I closed one eye as I looked at her little pokemon, thinking hard. Then I smiled at her.

"For sure. And I can tell your bond is super strong too."

"Wow, thank you!" she shouted with a really big smile.

Then all their eyes landed on Cilan, and they looked curious. I wasn't sure if it was because he was a stranger to them, or just because it was hard to believe anyone was _that_ out of breath after a little run.

I laughed before gesturing toward him. "This is an old friend of mine, his name is Cilan."

He was still bent over, hands on his knees, huffing like it was his last breath, but he looked up and gave a weak smile and waved slightly. The kids looked between us, then themselves, trying hard not to laugh. Admittedly it was pretty funny, but I decided to cut him a break and at least try and make him sound interesting to them.

"Cilan is one of the gym leaders from Striaton City."

That got their attention and both their mouths went wide. "That's so cool!" The little boy said, before rushing over to Cilan.

"I've never been to the city before…" The girl mumbled, sounding amazed.

Standing up straight again, I smiled down at her. "But I bet you'll go see it one day when you get bigger, huh?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah, I want to be just like you!"

I rubbed at the back of my neck with an awkward grin. "Well okay, but I think you'll do even better being just like yourself."

It did feel kinda good to be an adult, I guess. I mean I _was_ one technically, but that didn't always translate to how I felt.

"Iris?" I turned when I heard a familiar voice say my name.

I frowned slightly. And just that suddenly I felt like the little kid all over again.

"Oh, Elder…" I mumbled before I saw her look between me and Cilan, then smile.

"It is wonderful to have you return to us for a visit, please come inside so we can speak more."

I just nodded, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Elder had always been like a mentor to me, I mean from the very beginning. She really was a true dragon master, and if I was honest, I wanted to be just like her. By now, Fraxure and all my other pokemon had caught up with us, but I nodded for them to stay put until I came back. Well all but Fraxure, Elder had been the one to give me Axew before my first journey, and I thought she'd love to see that he had finally evolved.

Elder walked inside and took a seat at a small table, before gesturing Cilan and me over.

"Please sit down, and make yourself at home." She looked over at Cilan. "I hope the young ones weren't too much of a bother to you, but you see we don't often get visitors."

He smiled politely and shook his head. "No ma'am, no bother at all. I enjoy their energetic and positive flavor."

Elder tilted her head slightly, like she was a little confused.

I just sighed before jumping in to explain. "Cilan is a chef, so he relates things to food a lot."

"Oh so I see," she said laughing. Then she smiled at him again. "I believe we met once before, am I right, Cilan?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am, though it was some years ago that Iris and I were first traveling together."

"Indeed it has been. And her progress is plain to see." She said smiling at me and then turning to look at Fraxure. Reaching out to touch him she seemed to be thinking hard, or maybe she was just sensing his emotions like I could. All true dragon masters were so intune that they could do that.

"Yes, strong indeed… And very protective of you, Iris." She smiled at me softly. "Your bond is a truly rare and beautiful one. I can see why he chose to evolve for you at last."

"Evolve for me…?" I asked not really getting what she meant.

Elder nodded. "Yes, I believe that was why. He wants very much to make you happy, Iris."

"Is that true, Fraxure?" I asked looking down at him. "Did you really evolve for me?"

He looked a little shy at first before he nodded. "Ure, ure."

I felt my smile getting bigger as I reached to pat him on the head. "Well I love you too, Fraxure. And we're going to keep getting stronger together."

"Ure!"

Elder laughed. "Yes, what a bond the two of you have grown to have! I had hoped all those years ago, but I had no idea of such splendid results as this."

Cilan smiled over at me before focusing on Elder. "As you already know, Iris is a very hard worker, and as a pokemon connoisseur I also found her bond with Fraxure to be perfectly matched."

I rubbed at the back of my neck, feeling a little embarrassed. "Aww...thanks…"

Elder smiled softly as she looked between us, but didn't say anything. Then standing up she walked over to remove a little pot off the fire. Then pouring the contents into three cups, she carefully brought them to the table.

"Here, this is the special blend of tea our village is known for, I thought you might like to try it, Cilan."

"Why certainly, thank you!" He said sounding completely excited at the thought of a new flavor to sample.

I just rolled my eyes playfully. Food was such an art to him, it was almost embarrassing. He brought the cup just under his nose and slowly sniffed at it.

"A very hearty scent for sure, and with such complex overtones…" Then taking a sip, his face got a far away look. "This is… Amazing!" He shouted as his eyes glistened with giddiness.

I shook my head feeling a little embarrassed in front of Elder, but she just laughed again.

"Well I'm glad you like it so much! I must say it is rare for someone from the city to enjoy our simple way of life here."

"No," Cilan said. "I find it charming. It's very different, but I think it compliments me in a unique way."

She smiled slowly. "Yes, I thought as much…" Then turning to me she tilted her head in a question. "What about you, Iris, do you enjoy the city?"

"The city…?" I mumbled, not really sure why she'd ask something like that. And it did take some thought, I mean on the one hand there were things about it that really annoyed me. No good trees to climb, dim stars from all the light, and a lot of rain, to name a few. But...just like Cilan, besides all the annoying parts, there were things that I did really like.

"I like all the people." I said simply, before I tried to explain. "At first I didn't like the noise, but after awhile I sort of did. It was good to feel like so much life was happening all around you. In my own way, I guess I was starting to get used to it there."

Elder smiled at the both of us, before looking down into the steam rising from her cup. "I may not have special ability to sense the emotions of people the way I can dragon pokemon, but…" She looked back up at us. "But I find the bond between the two of you quite interesting as well."

"Us…?" I mumbled feeling my face get kinda warm. I didn't think she would have figured it out that quickly…

She smiled and laughed a little bit. "No need to be embarrassed dear, love is one of the beautiful aspects of life."

"Yeah I know…" I whispered, still feeling plenty embarrassed anyway.

"And it can teach us much." She added in. "Just like Unova's Reshiram and Zekrom, love can instruct us in the dual nature of our world. We see it first in the differing of male and female, but for some the lesson can run even deeper."

"Deeper?" Cilan asked leaning over the table a little more, seeming wrapped up in what she was saying.

I was interested too, sure, but mostly I felt like slumping in my seat. I would never get used to just talking about this...

"Yes," Elder went on. "It is believed that within each of us is a certain blend of the two energies of our world. But what helps to shape our individuality, is the fact that the exact mixture of these forces is never exactly the same. For most however, the blend can be somewhat close to equal, so they can find balance in the resonance of someone else who is also close to equal. Because of this the two are often much alike in many ways. But for some… Some seem to have a strong leaning toward just one of the energies, and that becomes very dominant in their personality. For that reason, they are drawn to someone very different from themselves. That is the only way for balance to be reached, and nature is designed to crave that balance above all else."

It made sense, and I understood what she meant. It wasn't hard to see that Cilan and me were both really weird in our own ways. I smirked to myself. Or possibly just off our rockers… But either way, it made sense that it took both of us to balance and equal an almost normal person.

"It sounds just like philosophy…" Cilan said slowly. "But the duality is so evident in many aspects of our natural world. It makes me believe that, sadly, our scientific understanding is trailing behind our intuitions."

I snapped my head to the side to look at Cilan. "You of all people admit to believing in intuition now?"

He laughed. "If science is to be based on evidence, than no facts can be ignored, even if they contradict our personal basis, or theories." He looked down and seemed serious suddenly.

"Truth is all a scientist is really interested in… Even if that truth is different from what may have been first imagined."

Elder smiled and reached to take each of our hands in hers. But then she slowly brought them together until our hands were touching, yet still cupped in hers.

"Truth and ideals. The balance is reached." She said softly.

Neither of us said anything after that. No, we both were just staring down at our hands right next to each other. From the way we thought, right down to the color of our skin, everything was different… But…

I slowly looked toward Cilan and he looked right back at me. Almost at the exact same time, we both smiled at each other. And so, even though I was still a little embarrassed, mostly I just felt happy right then.

I thought it would have been a great time to bring up everything that was happening with the scales too, but before either of us could, the door came open and someone rushed in.

"Iris!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

Grinning from ear to ear I jumped up and ran toward the door. "Shanon, it's so awesome to see you!"

She wrapped me in a hug before pulling back and laughing. "I heard word spread that you were back, but I almost didn't believe it! It's been so long!"

I nodded as my smile softened a little.. "Yeah I know, I'm sorry I'm gone so much."

She shook her head. "No, it's alright, I understand. But I have a surprise for you." She tugged me toward the door and I heard Fraxure and Cilan's footsteps follow me out. Out in the square again, I noticed Ash, Chili, and Cress were getting the same welcome that Cilan had from the village kids.

"We'll be back, guys!" I shouted waving at them.

"Yeah, no problem!" Ash waved back before he turned around and went back to showing off his pokemon and gym badges to the kids.

"So where are we going?" I asked as I caught up with her and we walked side by side. Cilan was lagging behind a little like usual…

"To my house, I have something I want to show you." She explained without really explaining anything.

"Okay fine, it you want to be all secretive about it." I said with a playful smirk.

She laughed, before I spoke up again. "So how's Jake, you still putting up with him?"

She smiled from ear to ear, before she just nodded without saying anything. Jacob grew up with us here in the village of dragons. He was usually a big pain in the neck back then, but I'd known for years that Shannon had a major crush on him. I sighed. Not that I could talk much now, huh?

Anyway, to go to their wedding was probably the last time I'd been back home, when I stopped to think about it. It was hard to believe so much time had went by, but that had already been at least a few years ago. Had it really been that long…? I guess I just got so caught up in training and things, that time just went on without me even noticing…

I still recognized Jake's old house though, and I figured right that they must have still lived there. Pushing open the door, she gestured for us to follow her. "Please, come in and make yourself at home."

We both nodded before stepping inside and looking around. It was cosy and I could smell the scent of spices coming from the kitchen. Even though she really enjoyed her journey, I wasn't that surprised when she decided to come back home when she got older. Shannon always seemed a lot more settled than I was, and sometimes I wished I could have been more like her, and not so restless.

"Fall out of any trees lately, Iris?" I hear Jake say as he appeared out of a back room, that same "little kid" grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes pretending to be offended. "Oh I don't know, trip over any deino lately?"

He frowned playfully. "That was one time. One time."

I laughed, not able to keep up the act anymore. "It's still great to see you, Jake."

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, same here." Then he noticed Cilan and reached out to shake his hand, though he still had a curious look on his face. "Name's Jacob, nice to meet you."

"I'm Cilan, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said politely as he shook his hand.

Jake looked him over for a second or two, and it didn't take much to guess Cilan stuck out like a sorethumb in a suit and tie around here.

But then Jake grinned teasingly at me. "I guess someone needed to teach you some city class, huh Iris?"

I rolled my eyes again before Shannon laughed. "Stop teasing her, Jacob." Then she turned back to me and took my hand. "Anyway, here let me show you…"

I followed her into a bedroom, and I was a little confused until she brought her finger to her lips and asked me to stay quiet. So slowly following her over to a little crib in the corner, I looked down at the sleeping infant inside.

"Our daughter." She said softly.

I felt my eyes get wider as my heart raced in shock. It had been that long already? I stared down and noticed the few tufts of hair that were the same color as Shannon's. "When…?" Was all I could manage to mumble out.

"She's only about two months old now."

"Wow…" I whispered slowly. "I had no idea…"

She smiled over at me. "Well...it has been a while since you've been home. Anyway...I wanted you to meet her."

I grinned. "She's adorable, Shannon, and she looks just like you."

Her face softened a little. "You won't guess what I named her…"

"What?" I asked so excited I had to remind myself not to wake her up from being too loud.

Shannon looked down shyly before back up at me. "Iris."

I just looked at her, feeling too confused to say anything at first. Then I pointed to myself. "After me…?"

Shannon nodded. "Of course. You're my best friend, and you're the one who inspired me to always take risks and believe in myself." She turned to glance back down at the sleeping baby. "Without you teaching me that, I doubt she'd even be here in the first place…"

I felt emotions too muddled to even name well up behind my eyes. But sniffing them back, I just smiled a little. "I'm not as brave as you think I am… But thanks anyway, it's a real honor."

She nodded. "You're welcome, Iris."

We both just stood there for a few seconds, not saying anything, but then I realized that was stupid. If she ever needed a hug it was now, so I did. "I love you, Shannon, we'll be best friends no matter how long I ever stay away from home."

I felt her squeeze back. "I know, and I love you too."

After what felt like forever, and yet not really long enough at all, we pulled back and gently tiptoed back out into the living room. Just Jake was there though.

'Where's Cilan?" I asked.

He smiled. "He asked if it would be okay if he used our kitchen."

I just sighed. "Sorry about that, he's a really great cook, but he gets kinda carried away sometimes."

Shannon shook her head. "No, it's fine. I think it's very kind of him to want to help out." Then she looked at me and asked a straightforward question, without seeming awkward at all.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I frowned, before I just nodded and tried to act like it wasn't any big deal.

Shannon smiled back like it wasn't. Like it was completely normal, even if it didn't feel that way...

"I think I met him once before, didn't I?"

I nodded again crossing my arms and looking down. "Uh yeah, but it was a long time ago…"

"He does seem a little weird." Jake added in playfully. "But I should have expected that much considering it's you we're talking about."

I glared at him, before Shannon elbowed him in the side. But it didn't take much before the three of us gave into laughing. Even though everything was so different, at the same time, it was like nothing had ever changed since we were all kids. And that felt great… It really did.

"Snack time!" Cilan shouted excitedly as he reappeared with a tray of whatever he had whipped up, in his hands.

"Shhh!' I said reminding him to be quiet, before remembering that he didn't even know why he needed to be. But he didn't bother asking either, he just frowned and hung his head a little.

"I'm sorry…"

Jake grinned before looking at me. "Wow, you've trained him almost as well as your dragons."

I rolled my eyes at him before looking back up at Cilan. "Jake is just being a pain like usual... Anyway, no it's okay, I just didn't want you to wake their baby, she's asleep in the next room."

"Oh I see." He whispered, now being _too_ quiet.

I just smiled at him, giving up on trying to prove that he _wasn't_ strange. "So what did you make?"

Cilan smiled as he served us. "A classic take on grilled cheese with my own signature blend of spices. I took inspiration from the tea Elder served us earlier. I knew that other savory flavors could be paired nicely with those same overtones."

Not surprisingly, Jake was the first one to dive into his, and nearly finish it in two bites. "It's pretty great, actually!" He said cheerfully wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Not bad at all."

I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time, before taking a bite myself. Then a big smile appeared on my face. "This is amazing, Cilan! No one cooks like you do!" I admit, it felt good to brag on him. He might have been strange, but he was still amazing to me just the way he was. Or at least most of the time…

Cilan got a meek look before nodding. "Thank you, I'm truly happy you enjoyed it."

Shannon smiled at us both, before Jake reached to slap Cilan on the back. Hard.

"Yeah, really great, they can sure cook in the city, I guess, huh?"

Cilan winced under the slap, but nodded with a weak smile, all the same.

Being able to spend time with Cilan plus my old friends from back home, almost seemed too good to be true. Almost like two different worlds were finally getting to meet… It was everything I could have ever wished for and more… But even if it was hard to believe, it was really happening. It really was…

The only hard part came when Shannon asked us how long we were going to stay. I didn't have an answer for that. And even though she didn't push it, I knew Elder must have been wondering too. Maybe even wondering why we came in the first place. The thing was, she could always tell when something was on my mind, or bothering me. But still, I was glad she didn't ask about it, at least that gave me a little more time to figure things out in my head. Or maybe to just not think about them at all…

Shannon offered me a room with them for now, but I didn't want to crowd them. And I kinda wanted to visit my old house anyway. Growing up I honestly spent more time outside than in, but it was still special to see it again after all these years. Just like my old dorm room at Opelucid Academy, I kinda had a bad habit of drawing on the walls.

I smiled as I ran my fingers along the dusty walls. I could recognize Excadrill, deerling, and all my other forest pokemon friends. And even a few scribbles of Shannon and me. It could hurt remembering something, but...at the same time it could also feel really good. Cilan would have said that was a bittersweet flavor, and I guess he was right. So many years had gone by and so much had changed. Shannon always looked up to me, and thought I was so brave. But the truth was, she had a lot more courage about some things…

Life was all about comparisons, even though it shouldn't have been. It was just so easy to look at everyone else, especially the people you grew up with, and wonder how you matched up. But then I thought about everything Elder had said. Everything about the different mixture of energy inside of me. Was that the reason I was never satisfied with what most people were? Why it was so hard for me to fit in anywhere? Because I really was different…? All my life it was like I was searching for something...but I never knew what it was….

Elder and Drayden seemed to get that too, which is why they recommended I go on a journey all those years ago. That's where I met Ash and Cilan… And for a while it was really great, just the three of us, but after that… Drayden knew I was still looking for something, that must have been why he didn't pressure me to accept being a permanent gym leader. But even being champion didn't really make me feel like I'd found what I needed to. It was nice but...I was more than that. I wasn't just someone who was strong, I wanted to be someone who really understood dragon pokemon. Their feelings, their hearts…

So even though sometimes I felt like I was still a long ways off from that, well I had to try and keep my chin up. I was just starting to realize what Elder and Drayden had been telling me for years. That my path was going to be different from most everybody else. But I knew it was the only one I could be happy with, yeah even if it had bumps and could be uphill sometimes. But at least I wasn't alone… I knew that Ash and Cilan were following their own paths too, but the thing was… I thought our paths were meant to cross, to intertwine, so I knew I'd never really be alone again…

As long as I had my friends I had everything.

Pulling out the chair at my old desk, I just sat and looked at the scribbles on the hardwood. I think they were supposed to be flowers. I smiled a little to myself. Flowers just like me…

I never knew my parents, just that Elder said she found me at the edge of the village one day. In a little basket filled with flowers. Irises, she'd said they were. And from that day on she told me I was meant for something special. Maybe I was, but I wasn't really sure what it was going to be just yet. But if I'd learned anything it was to never give up no matter what. Though most people are born into a family, I guess I had to find my own little by little. And maybe...that was really what I was looking for from the beginning anyway…

Looking down I noticed the desk drawer was opened just a crack. It was mostly stuck, but when I pulled on it enough it came open the rest of the way. Swatting away the cloud of dust I'd stirred up, I looked inside. A few dried flowers, a berry, that by now looked mostly petrified, and way in the back…

I reached to pick up the strange object, not really remembering what it was until I wiped the layers of dust away. Holding it up to my window I saw it glow a pale blue in the sunlight.

"I remember now…" I mumbled to myself as a thousand old memories flooded back.

I'd been out exploring one day, when I found a huge cave. It only made sense that it was probably too dangerous for a little kid to wander into, but that didn't exactly stop me. It was empty then, but I imagined that it must have been home to some massive dragon before. And it probably had been, considering what I found in it. At the time I didn't even know what it was, but then I'd learned that it was a dragon scale. Not exactly as valuable as Reshiram or Zekrom's, but to me it was a real treasure.

Because we were best friends I showed it to Shannon a few times, but otherwise I kept it my special secret. And I knew I'd probably have got scolded if Elder ever found out where I found it anyway. Dragon scales were used in all sorts of ways, even helping certain dragon pokemon evolve. But in our village, where our whole way of life was centered around them, it meant even more than that. It was our custom to give dragon scales as special gifts. If friends were leaving on a dangerous journey and were afraid they might never make it back, a dragon scale was given as a token of how much they meant to each other. The same thing happened with weddings sometimes. Elder used to say that a dragon scale represented a bond taken shape.

That wasn't really true, but the meaning behind it was. I used to dream about being given one, like my real family probably would have done before I left for my first journey… But they weren't around so… It was actually kind of sad to think about having a scale that no one had given you, that you found yourself. But even so, I still loved mine. In fact, I used to say that the forest had given it to me, it felt like my family after all.

I polished it against my sleeve until all the traces of age and wear disappeared. It looked as good as new now. Which gave me an idea… So I got to work.

When I was finished the sun was pretty much set, but that was fine, since stepping outside I saw a large bonfire burning near the center of village. Walking over I saw Chili and Ash trying to roast berries over it while the village kids looked on laughing when they burnt them to a crisp.

"Darn it, not again!" Chili grumbled as he waved the flaming berry at the end of his stick. I smirked when I walked over.

"Don't look now, but your 'city slicker' is showing." I said with a smirk.

He rolled his eyes. "How can I cook without a decent stove?"

"You have to adapt to differing cultures, Chili." Cress said as he calmly leaned back to look up at the stars. "It's no different than adjusting to a new recipe."

"Hey, they're still not that bad!" Ash chimed in after taking a bite of his mostly overdone oranberry. "Or I could just be that hungry…"

I shook my head with a smile before I turned to look back over at Cress. "So...where's Cilan anyway?"

"He went to fetch more berries, since Chili and Ash ruined the previous batch. He should be back soon, if you'd like to wait."

I hesitated before shaking my head. "No that's alright, I'll just go find him, he might need some help."

So I took off running toward the edge of the forest, but I hadn't made it out of the village before I ran right into him. Literally. It was dark and I guess I was in too big a hurry to really pay attention.

"Iris?" I heard him say. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, that was clumsy of me."

"No, it's fine, I ran into you after all." I said opening my eyes and getting my bearing back.

He offered his hand to help me up, but I was too busy looking at all the spilled berries around me to take it. "And here I wanted to help." I said shaking my head, as I started to gather an armful of what berries weren't crushed.

He smiled as he knelt down and started to help me pick them up. "I'm afraid Chili's cooking expertise does not translate well to an open flame."

I smiled over at him. "Yeah and considering how poor Ash cooks, it's like the blind leading the blind."

He laughed as we gathered the last, and both stood. "They make an interesting flavor combination for sure."

I rolled my eyes at him playful. "And there you go with the food references again. No wonder no one knows what to make of you here."

He grinned. "I admit I do stand out quite a bit. Though those differences can still be fun."

"Yeah…" I said slowly as the real reason I wanted to find him came back to me. And with it a rush of neves. "Hey could you hold on a minute…?" I whispered slowly as I stopped walking.

He stopped too and turned to look at me with concern. "Is something the matter?"

I hesitated trying to figure out how to put this… "Well no, nothing's wrong, but I…"

"Yes?" He pressed gently. Then bending down to carefully put his berries in a neat pile he looked over at me. I followed and did the same thing so my arms would be free. Then reaching into my pocket I decided to just try and be brave like always. Like Shannon, and everyone else thought I was. Carefully I pulled out the dragon scale. My special dragon scale, only now it was fastened to a colorful cord with a few extra beads for decoration.

Without saying anything, I just stepped forward and leaned up on my toes until I could gently slip it over his head. Then stepping backward, I looked up at him awkwardly. "I made this for you, Cilan…"

He looked down and cupped the scale in his hands, examining it closely. Then, after what felt like forever, he looked back over at me with a soft smile. "It's very beautiful, Iris, thank you."

It would have been a lot easier to just leave it at that, but I knew he didn't really get why it was so important. What it was supposed to mean… But I was finding the right words hard to find.

"This gift must have been special to you, because I can sense the care and thought you put into making it." He added in, surprising me.

"But how did you know that?" I asked.

He smiled gently. "Elder isn't the only one who has some insight into human nature. And…" He hesitated for a second. "I'd like to think I know you very well, Iris…"

I felt myself smile softly before I nodded. "Mmm hmm. You're right, it is special. In fact," I said not able to keep the excitement from my voice. "This was my favorite treasure when I was little! I found it in an old dragon cave. It's a scale, and the dragon it used to belong to might be hundreds of years old by now."

He held it up to the moonlight and moved it back and forth slowly, causing it to glisten. "A dragon scale…?" He whispered, sounding a little awed.

"Are you sure you want me to have something so dear to you?" He asked with a slight frown.

I felt those old bundles of nerves twist inside of me again, but I tried not to let them get the best of me. So I just tried to explain honestly. "Cilan, where I come from, here in the village of dragons I mean, scales really are special. But mostly just because of what they represent. Or um, who they represent…"

He waited for me to go on.

"So...it's a custom here, to give scales to people that mean a lot to you… To family, friends, or um other relationships…" I trailed away awkwardly, wondering when I'd be able to talk about this without feeling so strange.

I saw his shoulders slump a little bit, but I wasn't sure why. "Iris…" He whispered slowly.

"Yeah…" I mumbled looking up at him with a little frown, not sure why he looked so serious all of a sudden.

"Being here has made me think deeply about a number of things… But mostly about the two of us."

It wasn't until then that I realized, inside of me, well that old fear was still there. Because right then, I couldn't help but wonder what he was about to say. And before I could remind myself that it was silly, I felt myself bracing for something bad.

"About our future, and how I need to learn how to be more attentive to your feelings."

"My feelings…?" I blinked at him, confused.

He nodded. "Yes, I can't help but think back to yesterday, the error in judgment I almost made was very serious. It showed that I'm still thinking mostly about myself, while you're trying to consider both of us…"

I sighed, finally knowing what he was getting at. "I know I said you were selfish, Cilan… But I didn't really mean that, and I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry, I know you're just worried about me getting hurt..."

"But it was a selfish thing. And if I'd followed what I thought best, I'd have missed being able to spend this special time with you and your family."

"My family…?" I said not understanding.

He nodded and gestured around to the village.

"Oh…" I whispered. And I knew he was right, wasn't he? Maybe it wasn't like a typical family with a mom and dad, but to me… To me, Elder, Shannon, and everybody in the village were like family to me. How did I miss that before…?

I smiled softly as I looked down and then back up at him. "Cilan… We're both going to make lots of mistakes, yeah probably everyday even. But…" I heard my tone raise a little bit. "But if Elder is right and we're supposed to complete each other, then it doesn't matter what stupid things we might do or say!"

I felt my face getting warm, but I still wanted to say what I knew I needed to. What I wanted to. "Because I believe that we really were meant to meet, that we were drawn together because that's just what both of us needed. So, we should just accept it and be happy, okay?"

I almost felt like I was talking to myself more than to him. Reaching over to hold one of his hands in both of mine, I looked down and cringed a little, embarrassed. Slowly, I looked up at him and peeked open one eye. "Or...at least I hope that didn't sound really strange to you…?"

He reached to gently brush my cheek with the back of his hand.

"They say, Iris, that 'Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict.'" He smiled in that way he always did, that kind way that could make me believe everything really would be okay.

"I think that sentiment applies to the two of us, don't you?"

I looked up at him, and for a second I didn't say anything at all… Instead I just looked at his green eyes, almost like I was trying to remember everything about how they looked right then.

Because I wanted to remember…

I wanted to remember forever.

That's all I wanted to _wish_ for…

 **More coming at ya soon, stay awesome!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 (Iris' POV)

I'd almost forgotten just how peaceful morning could be. But being home really remind me. It was so quiet… I'd woken up a little early today, and just spent the time with Fraxure. Breakfast was simple, just berries, yeah the way it used to be when we first started out on our journey together.

But I didn't mind simple sometimes.

Reaching to rub Fraxure's snout I smiled a little. "You're just happy to be back, huh?"

"Ure!" He shouted excitedly as he leaned into my hand.

"Yeah, me too…" I whispered back to him. And it was true, being home was better than I even thought it would be, but…

I felt myself frown. But it didn't change the reason why we'd came back. I'd wished it would have been just for a visit, like I guess I wanted everyone to believe. But there I went again...wishing for things…

I knew I needed to talk to Elder, to explain about the scales and everything that had happened in Striaton. But maybe I just didn't want to…? Didn't want to think about anything that dangerous, anything that could take everything I loved away. But little kids just run away from problems, don't they? Adults have to face them, especially if someone could get hurt. And they were right, if all of Unova was in danger if the scales were stolen then…

Then I already knew what I had to do.

I had to talk to Elder. But...before I could even stand up from the table I heard a knock on the door. Just like footsteps, people sounded unique when they knocked. It was in how soft, hard or just what part of their hand that they used, that made the difference. So I knew right away, didn't I?

Knew it wasn't Cilan, Shannon, Ash or even Elder.

"Come in…?" I mumbled as I felt something in my stomach drop. Because before he even walked in I knew… Knew it was him…

The door came open slowly and a tall figure stepped in, so tall that even lanky Cilan would have looked short, which just meant I felt like an unevolved baby pokemon for sure... But then I always felt a little uneasy around Drayden. And by a little, I meant a whole lot...

"I hope I didn't come too early?" He said with a polite tone. "But word spread to Opelucid City that our champion had returned home."

"No, sir, it's fine…" I mumbled awkwardly, before I threw a clumsy gesture at the chair across from me. "Um, sit down, have you had breakfast yet?"

He nodded and went to sit down. "Thank you, but I'm fine."

"Oh...okay." Was all I said before the silence started to build up. I hated that...that things always felt so awkward between us. He had been my mentor, trainer and in so many ways a really great teacher. He was one of the best dragon masters in Unova, but...

"How have you been, Iris?" he asked simply, breaking the silence.

"Oh me? Well…"

But he was more than all those things… To me he had been...almost like a father too. Which is why I never really felt good enough. My whole life just felt like a string of disappointing him, didn't it? Right down to when I turned down taking over the gym like he wanted me too...

"I'm okay, Drayden." I bit my lip a little and looked down, before glancing back up at him. "And I've been training really hard!"

He didn't say anything at first, then he laughed a little bit. "Yes, I can see that. Your axew has evolved into Fraxure, that in itself is quite the feat."

It was, but when I compared it to his massively powerful haxorus, poor Fraxure and me both seemed really small…

"Ure!" Fraxure said as he walked over to Drayden, begging to be scratched behind his tusks.

I could see the smile in Drayden's eyes as he gave in and did just that. Well...at least Fraxure was comfortable enough, I guess it was just me still awkward around him.

"He's as cheerful as when he was a hatchling." He laughed again before turning back to me and suddenly getting a more serious face.

"Something is troubling your cheerfulness, however, that much is clear."

"Huh?" I said flinching, hating that he'd seen through me like that. Poking my fingertips together I tried to think of how to talk my way out of it. But the truth was...he was right of course. Between the scales, and even Drayden being here himself. And even as crazy as it seemed, when I compared talking about the scales with talking about my relationship with him, well...it made all of Unova being in danger seem simple.

"There's a reason I came back, Drayden…" I whispered slowly.

"Yes, everything is for one reason or another. As champion, I know life must be very different for you. You never craved the attention, but I understand you've received it all the same. In the past few months, I've heard everything from talk of your resignation, wedding, and even a few that swore they'd seen you all the way in Kanto. But I never was one to believe idle talk, because I know you better than to think you'd run away from your responsibility, for any reason."

I frowned wider. "Those are all just stories… Because nobody knows how to figure out what I really am doing with my life. But...you're wrong about me too, Drayden…"

"Oh?" He whispered seeming surprised, and yet not at all.

"I am running away…" I answered, and right then I felt like a little kid confessing before a scolding. "First I ran away from your, my...gym. Then I took leave and ran away from being champion, and now…"

I clenched my fists tight. "Now I'm letting all of Unova down, so I can come home and pretend I'm a little girl again…"

He didn't say anything at all to begin with, but then he leaned back in his chair, and I could see his eyes soften a little. "You're not a child anymore, but you are still quite young. Perhaps too young for all the things we have always expected of you. But you see, Iris…" he paused and looked at me deeply.

"We all know you are capable of so much… But even still...it has to be your path to find, and your choice to make. Right or wrong, it is only your life to live."

I nodded. "Yeah I know but…" Then I looked up at him slowly. "I don't want to let everyone down… Most of all not you." I guess I'd said it before I could even think about it.

He took in a deep, slow breath before letting it out sharply. "I've known that all along. How I managed to become such a frightening figure to you, I've never been sure however. But in any case, I would suggest you stop trying to meet my expectations, or anyone else's. Even Unova isn't worth losing yourself in."

"But…" I mumbled. "What does that really mean…? I know you and Elder want me to…" I heasitied. "To do something special, but…"

"But you don't know what that thing is?" He offered, and I just nodded, because he was completely right. He looked at me with a smile in his eyes, but it was more than that… It was one that almost looked… Just like he was almost sad that he had to tell me this, that I felt the way I did.

"We don't know what that special purpose is either. Just that we wanted to aid you in reaching it if we could. It wasn't meant to pressure you into a certain path, but to simply remind you to take one." His voice softened. "To not lose yourself in these hills and forests… To not hide in them forever."

"Drayden…" I whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"Your heart is as wild and untamed as any dragon type… Elder and I have always realized that about you. It's due to the singular nature of the energy of your spirit. It makes your path perhaps more difficult than most, yet also gives you a great potential to realize. If Unova is indeed in any sort of danger, then it may well be for you to help solve."

I frowned. How did he guess…? How did he always know…?

"The thing is…" I mumbled slowly. "Reshiram and Zekrom's dragon scales could be in danger. In the city, someone wants to steal them, someone dangerous. I came here, because I didn't want the people I care about to get hurt but… But I feel like I can't really stop that from happening just by running away…"

His eyes looked a little surprised at first, but then he relaxed. "Reshiram and Zekrom…?" He crossed his arms. "I find it hard to believe that anyone could uncover the location or their scales."

I nodded. "Yeah me too, or at least that's what I'm hoping… But...I still can't help but worry, and wonder what's happening while I'm just here hiding… You know what I mean?"

He nodded. "Yes, because no matter how unlikely, if the scales were ever found and disturbed the results could be devastating… What makes you believe these dangerous people could be capable of something that severe?"

I sighed. "It's a long story… But I just know it's what they're after, and I also know they won't let anything stand in their way."

"So I see…" he whispered before looking at me with a serious gaze. "Do you really think you can prevent them?"

I frowned and looked down with a shrug. "Not really… I just hope… I...just feel like I need to do something. Like I _have_ to do something before it's too late."

"If you feel that it is your path, than you would do well to try and run the course of it." Then he looked down and frowned, almost like he'd just felt a sudden twinge of pain. "Not that I enjoy the thought of you putting yourself in such danger… In fact, I would rather you avoid it. But…" he sighed. "But I've lived too long, and seen far too much, to ignore the truth…"

"What truth…?" I asked softly.

He met my eyes and didn't look away for anything. "You can only help someone you love down a certain path, you can not, however, walk it for them… Even if it is your deepest wish…"

There were lines around his eyes from age, yeah even though he was still so strong… But unlike ever before, they made him look almost...vulnerable right then. Vulnerable because he was worried. Worried about me...

Maybe it was a look that I knew so well by now, because of seeing it in Cilan's face so many times already. But Drayden's face was different… It was love but...he wasn't holding so tightly.

Instead...instead I thought he loved me enough to just let go.

I felt a few tears spill silently down my face. I'd never thought much about Drayden loving me though.

"I don't want you to worry…" I said wiping my eyes on my sleeve.

"But I will." He added simply. "Such is the vulnerability of love. And…" he whispered slowly. "There are evil men who would exploit that to their own ends… They prey upon our fear of losing. But in doing so they forget, no they never realized...that this vulnerability can in fact be our strength of advantage. Our reason to fight… Do you understand, Iris?"

He used to ask me that all the time… Did I understand something he was trying to teach me. The truth was, I did feel just like a child again. But…

But I understood.

I nodded slowly. "I understand all that… But…" I looked up at him as I felt frustrating emotions getting the better of me. "But how do you just let go when it hurts so badly?! What if someone you love really does get hurt…?"

For a second he almost looked at a loss for words. And maybe I was expecting too much from him, always wanting him to have the answer for me.

"Iris…" he whispered. "It's not a matter of numbing this pain, it is simply a matter of enduring it. Of knowing that you must, that it is the right thing to do. Of knowing that holding too tightly will only destroy the very thing you wish to protect…" Then he looked down, a sadness behind his eyes.

"If I could, I'd change this path for you… But as it is, all I can do is offer to stand with you on it. To help you in any way that I can… If you do choose to go...please at least let me do that…"

I nodded, and somehow managed a weak smile. "I promise, Drayden…"

He smiled back softly, before he pushed out his chair and stood. Then turning toward the door he spoke up again. "I'll leave you to your visitor, then."

I didn't know what he was talking about though, no one had knocked. But he must have sensed them there, because when he opened the door he came face to face with a very pale Cilan. But I didn't mean like usual. No, instead he almost looked sick, and it made me wonder just how long he'd been standing outside listening. Drayden just put a hand on his shoulder for a moment, before he walked past.

"Cilan…" I whispered as I stood up suddenly and went to meet him.

His face trembled slightly, but he still didn't say anything. Stepping outside I put my hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him down until he was sitting on the step.

"Take it easy for a second, okay?" I whispered softly as I sat down next to him, until I felt his weak shoulder leaning into mine.

"Iris…" Was the first thing he managed to choke out.

"Yeah I know…" Was all I mumbled back, knowing what he meant with just that one word.

Drayden didn't know it, but he had said just what we both didn't want to hear. All that about loving someone enough to let them go, to not hold so tight that you ended up disliking each other. Because we were holding on so tightly...that's why we were here…

Because we were both so stubborn, so afraid, and so much in love.

We both understood all that now… So...I didn't really know what else to say. I guess he didn't either, because we just sat there for the longest time. Up ahead in the distance some of the kids were running and playing with their little dragons. If you closed your eyes, all you could hear was the sound of them laughing and teasing each other. It reminded me of Shannon, Jake and me from all those years ago…

So like my millionth wish, I thought about how it would be if Cilan and I could be just like the two of them. If things were safe and simple… If everyday was just a matter of putting up with his annoying habits, and eating his great cooking. If I could name our daughter after a good friend, and be satisfied with just that… Because already I knew...that would have been enough.

Even for me, restless me…

But that wasn't my life, and no amount of wishes would be enough to suddenly make that different. Instead, my path was dangerous and risky. And sometimes lonely… But it was the right thing to do, because it was going to help a lot of people. Maybe even all of Unova. And one day, when the danger was over...well who knew what the future held for both of us…?

"I love you, Cilan…" I said softly as I reached to hold his hand. We turned to face each other, yeah even though he still looked so weak.

"And that's why...I think we need to go back."

For a second or two he didn't say anything, it just looked like his eyes were searching for something. Then looking back up at me, our eyes met. My brown ones, and his green.

"I can understand why you'd feel that way…" Then he tried to smile, but didn't quite make it.

"The good of Unova is certainly more important than our personal feelings… But…" He shook his head like he was trying to chase away whatever he had been about to say.

"I'll just have to remember that from now on."

I frowned at him, because I knew his brave face was really just a lie. Just another way to hide.

"That's not what I meant, Cilan…" I said slowly.

He seemed confused and about to question, but I went on before he could. "Not even all of Unova is as important to me as you are… But...maybe we were _both_ being selfish? We both wanted to hold on so tight that it would have just hurt us eventually. Even if it is dangerous...if it's the right thing to do then…" I gave him a determined look. "Then we should still do it! Don't you think…?"

He looked down at our joined hands before nodding slowly. "I would have to agree, Iris… But...it won't be easy for me to let you be in danger…"

I smiled softly over at him. "Yeah I know, and it won't be easy for me either, ya know, about you. But...even before all this talk about duality and legendary stuff… I always used to think we made a pretty great team, as it was. So what I mean is… If anyone can, then don't you think we'd be able to make it through alright?"

For the first time his smile almost looked like his old self. "No, I don't doubt that at all…"

"Then it'll all be fine." I said finally feeling like the problem was much simpler than it probably was. But either way, it felt good to at least believe it was simple.

"You know," he said softly, getting my attention. "When this first started, I really just wanted a chance to go on another adventure with you…" he closed his eyes and smiled. "I never meant for it to make you think of me in a different way. No, I couldn't even have wished for something like that… But… Like an unexpected turn in a recipe, even the things I _couldn't_ wish for have come true. So…"

He turned to look at me. "So then, how much more should the things I _have_ wished for now…"

For a second it almost felt like my chest hurt, like everything he said had both make this harder and easier. But isn't that what Drayden had meant…? About not numbing the pain, but enduring it. Opposites… Everything had two sides. Love was both a vulnerability and a strength… I got that now. I understood what Drayden had been trying to teach me, and I thought Cilan did too.

He smiled, and now, he really was his old self. "And of all the things I'm wishing for… Your safety is first and foremost. But, I understand that doesn't mean holding you back from what you need to do. Because to do that, wouldn't really be true love at all."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah…" Then looking back up at him I couldn't shake the curious feeling I suddenly had. "But...what other things are you wishing for now, Cilan…?"

He didn't say anything at first, but then he smiled cheerfully, and I thought I saw him blush just a little bit.

"I'd rather we both just wait and see if they come true…"

I smiled slowly, as I wondered if maybe, Cilan's wishes and mine weren't all that different. If maybe, it was the one thing about us that was exactly the same…?

Standing up he looked down at me, and reached out his hand. "Should we go tell the others?"

I nodded and took his hand. "Okay, I'm ready."

And I was. Ready for whatever was to come…

I guess neither of us should have been surprised to find Ash still asleep when we got to the house he was sharing with Chili, Cress and Cilan. Not that it wasn't kind of early I guess? But then, around here nobody thought about still being asleep by 8:00.

Cress was already up though, and when we walked in he offered us some of the breakfast that he had whipped up. Everything we needed to say was so important I kinda wanted to just get to that, but then I smelled something awesome coming from the kitchen.

I guess Cilan must have seen the indecision on my face, because he smiled at me. "A hearty meal is often just what you need before taking on the challenges of the day."

I sighed with a smirk. "Great, now you're thinking like Ash…"

He laughed before politely gesturing for me to walk ahead of him into the kitchen. At the table Cress was serving up something, and I had to admit it looked too good not to eat first.

"Would you like some tea?" Cress asked me as I slid into a chair.

"Yeah sure, thanks." I said with a nod. It was a little funny, but it seemed like Cress was still acting like a waiter even when he was so far away from his restaurant.

Cilan carefully pulled out the chair next to me, before Cress got back with the tea and sat down across from us.

Blowing across the brim of his cup, Cress looked over at his, as calm as ever. "You were right, Cilan, this signature blend is exquisite."

Cilan grinned, getting excited at just the mention of the tea again. "Isn't it!"

I wanted to roll my eyes, but then it wasn't like this was unusual for him. Reaching for the sugar bowl I stirred in two teaspoons before taking a sip. It was good, but I always liked things a little sweeter than Elder made them. But glancing to the side I saw Cilan's face deflate a little, almost like he was disappointed.

"Iris… Won't the extra sweetness dilute the earthy flavor this tea is known for?"

I just leaned into my hand and raised my eyebrows with a smirk.

After a second he seemed to get what I was saying, and he laughed.

"Though I suppose differing tastes aren't always a bad thing."

Cress smiled at us softly before speaking up. "This morning Chili seems to have begun to adapt quite well to things here, when compared to last night and the bonfire."

"How's that?" Cilan asked.

Cress grinned a little before taking a small sip of his tea. "A young lady from the village seems to have offered to give him a guided tour of sorts. That's where he is right now."

Cilan chuckled. "Oh, I see."

I just rolled my eyes. Why was I even surprised? With everybody either asleep or gone, it didn't really seem like we'd get to talk much this morning. But I guess it was okay if we waited a little bit, I mean we had already been through a lot. Maybe it was good to have a few minutes to just process it all.

But not surprisingly all that it took to raise Ash from the dead was a whiff of breakfast. "Morning guys…" He said sleepy as he appeared in the doorway rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, Ash, Pikachu." Cilan grinned cheerfully as he gestured toward an empty chair at the table. "Here let me get you breakfast, Cress made waffles using the native berries."

"Sounds great…" Ash mumbled back as he plopped into the chair.

We were still missing Chili, but I thought it still might be good to break the ice, I mean since Ash was here now. But I waited until Cilan got back with his plate, and Ash had chugged half a glass of juice. Honestly, it took that much before he started to look even remotely capable of understanding what I'd be talking about.

"I know we only just got here but… Well, Cilan and me were talking and…" I hesitated wondering how to put this. It wasn't like I could really go into everything Drayden had said. It was a lot to explain, and I felt a little stupid for wanting to go back, since our all coming had sort of been my idea in the first place. But even so, I just pushed on ahead.

"You see the thing is… We think we should go back."

Cress blinked at us blankly at first before he frowned slightly. "Back to Striaton?"

I nodded. "Yeah...seems crazy I know but…"

"But," Cilan cut in gently, and I was honestly glad. "This extra time, change in scenery as well as pace, has helped us to examine things in a new light. Like any great mystery, all the facts are never apparent from the start. I believe that our coming here was just another necessary step to uncover how to solve this case."

"Well, I'm all for not running away," Ash chimed in. "But...what about it being dangerous and all that stuff?"

When Cilan frowned slightly, I decided to help him out this time. "It could still be dangerous, Ash, but we think it's more important to stop that creepy Rigford from doing something that could endanger all of Unova." I gripped my cup in both hands, enjoying the warmth, as I looked down into the ripples.

"It isn't like this is the first time we've been in a tough spot…" I looked up and over at Ash. "On our first journey together we faced all kinds of stuff. But we never ran away, we always just worked through it. We found a way out together, right?"

He smiled softly. "You bet, Iris…"

I admit, when I was first trying to explain it to him and Cress, well I guess I still felt a little unsure, but now… Now seeing him smile back at me, it reminded me of everything we'd all been through together. And it made me feel like this was just one more thing we'd get through.

"Iris, is right," Cilan added in softly. "We've never let any obstacle stand in the way of our doing what's right. And I think it's our duty to do whatever we can to uphold _truth_ and justice."

I smiled meaningfully at him. "And to not lose our _ideals_ in the process."

He looked back at me, a little smile appearing on his face. That smile that made his eyes crinkle.

"That line of reasoning does have some merit." Cress agreed, considering it.

We'd explained the collector's story about the scales to them earlier, so I got the feeling all of us understood what could be at stake. If the story was true, and Slick did find and disturb the scales than all of Unova was in danger. Drayden didn't think it was too likely for that to happen, and hopefully he was right, but… But I still couldn't really stop the nagging doubt that Rigford might have been smarter than we gave him credit for. At least in an evil way, I mean. And it wasn't like we really understood if we could fully trust Cole, the eyepatch guy, either. One thing was for sure though, we weren't going to figure it out by just sitting around here and doing nothing.

Just thinking about leaving home again made me miss it already, but… But if this was my path, than I had to walk it. That was all I could do to try and protect all the people I cared about. Shannon and her little Iris, Cilan, Drayden and everybody else… If I made sure Unova was okay, than they'd be okay too…

Those were all the things I was thinking when we heard the knock on the door. Cilan was the one to go answer it, but when I heard Elder's voice I was on my feet and in the living room before I could even hesitate.

"Elder…" I whispered when I came face to face with her.

She smiled at me, but behind her eyes I could see she seemed worried.

"Hello, my dear. Drayden tells me the reason for your visit is a troublesome one, yes?"

I looked down at little. "You mean about the scales…?" Then I snapped my head back up to look at her. "I was going to tell you it just…"

Elder smiled slightly as she held up her hand to gesture me to stop rambling so much. "That's alright, the important thing is that I know now. But please tell me, are the scales in any immediate danger?"

I bit my lip. "Well...I don't really know that for sure. I just know they could be, but Drayden said he didn't think it was likely that anyone could ever find them."

Elder didn't say anything at first, but then she nodded. "It is true the scales have been safely hidden for many, many years. And I doubt these men are the first to ever seek them but… Still, it is a troublesome thing to even contemplate. The balancing scales must never be disturbed, it would surely mean great unrest in Unova if that ever were to happen."

"Yeah I know…" I whispered. "That's why we've decided to go back. To try and make sure they don't succeed, just in case."

Elder frowned. "It may not be as simple as just that, I'm afraid. If these men have committed some crime of which they can be charged and detained, than that would of course safeguard the scales. But...ambition alone is not a crime that can be punished… Please, dear, tell me more about what has happened."

So I did, I started at the very beginning, and went over it all. From the stolen car, to the gala and even my kidnapping. I tried to make some sense out of Rigford and Cole, but explaining it to her just reminded me that we still didn't have all the answers. No, not even close...

Elder seemed to grip her walking staff tighter every time I added a new detail, so when I finished she looked more worried than before. "Ambition and desperation seem to be the driving force behind both these men." She said talking about Rigford and Cole. "But the true motivation behind that ambition is as much a mystery to us, as is the location of the scales. And long may it remain that way…" She breathed. "You're right to be concerned, Iris, I can't rest easily knowing the scales are being sought with such earnest. But I would bear in mind both this man Cole, and Drayden's points of view."

"What do you mean…?" I mumbled slowly.

"The danger has already been demonstrated. The lengths that are willing to be taken by some of these men could put your safety greatly at risk." Then she glanced at Cilan. "Both of you. But…" She added slowly. "The needs of all of Unova seem to be weighing heavily above all else. Yet I say, Iris, don't attempt to undertake this task alone. You should allow Drayden and everyone else to aid you in whatever way they can. This may be your path to take, but you should never walk it alone. To do that…"

She turned to gaze at the shining dragon scale still hanging around Cilan's neck. Her face softened and it almost looked like she was hurt. "Would be to betray the very duality you seek to protect…"

"I can assure you, she won't be alone." Cilan said with a confident smile.

"No, she won't."

We turned to see Drayden standing in the doorway, a resolute look on his face.

"Yeah, count on it!" Ash added as he walked in from the kitchen.

"Pi pikachu!"

"Ure, ure!" Fraxure shouted as he squeezed past Ash and waddled over to me.

I grinned a little bit as I rubbed Fraxure softly behind his tusks. I felt anything but alone right then... "Well, it looks like I have a lot of people taking care of me already so…"

Elder smiled softly as she reached to put a hand on my shoulder. "Than go and complete this trial. Learn from wherever it may lead you. Use this challenge to find ways to grow stronger in the bond you share with all those around you. In that way, I believe you will find your way, your true path."

I just nodded, feeling like a kid again. Yeah like I had the day she first gave me Axew, but… But at the same time, I also felt stronger, more confident. Not because I thought I could do it by myself, no, but because I knew I'd never have to… I balled my fists as everything I was feeling threatened to spill down my cheeks.

But before it could, before we could focus on anything else, we heard Chili running toward us shouting at the top of his lungs.

"What's the matter, Chili!" Cilan asked as he raced down the steps and put a hand on his shoulder.

Chili was doubled over fighting for breath. "I...saw...him!" He huffed.

"Saw who?" Cilan asked.

Chili leaned up and frowned. "Mr. Eyepatch, he was up to something in the forest just outside the village!"

Drayden cracked his knuckles before looking between Cilan and me. "It looks like this business is getting too close to home. I wouldn't mind getting to the bottom of it for myself, though."

Reaching for a pokeball he called out his haxorus, before looking at us again. "Shall we go then?"

Cilan hesitated for a second before he nodded with a determined look. I jumped down the steps before looking over my shoulder. "Show us where, Chili!"

He took in another deep breath before nodding. "Yeah okay, I'll lead." Then he frowned and looked over at Drayden. "Or...maybe the scary dragon guy could? Just a thought…?"

I rolled my eyes before running ahead myself. I wasn't in the lead for long before Cilan and Drayden came up beside me though. I guess they really did mean what they said about not letting me do things by myself… Which was okay with me. We ran full speed ahead, and I was a little amazed that Cilan was able to keep up with me and Drayden, but I figured that was just how determined he was.

So when we stopped for a second to rest I couldn't help but smile at him. He was covered in sweat and taking deep breathes, but he still looked just as determined.

"Are we getting close, Chili?" I asked when him and Ash caught up to us.

Chili frowned. "Yeah yeah, I saw him up ahead."

"Good, then let's just keep going." I shouted as I ran toward a tree and jumped up to grab one of the low branches. Pulling myself up I reached for a vine before kicking off and sending myself swinging. A higher view always helped things, except instead of things getting clearer, they started to get hazier than before. Almost all at once clouds of fog appeared around us and I couldn't see anything more than a few feet in front of me. Landing on another tree branch I stopped to get my bearings, but I had a bad feeling I'd lost everyone else.

Or at least I did before I heard a familiar scream coming toward me out of the fog.

"Cilan…?" I mumbled to myself as I saw him appear across from me, clinging to a vine like it was life or death.

When the timing was right I reached out and pulled him onto the branch with me before he fell and broke his neck. Clinging to the truck he huffed and looked almost as freaked out as he was when he saw a purrloin.

I grinned a little, not sure if I found this funny or just felt sorry for him. "I didn't really mean for you to follow me up here, Cilan…" I said softly, touched by his good intention, anyway.

He swallowed hard, trying to get back his composure. He smiled weakly. "I said you wouldn't be facing this alone…"

I smiled before looking back out at the white all around us. "Well, I'm glad you're here, because otherwise I would be alone, I think we lost the others in this fog."

He frowned. "It would seem so… But what's the source of this sudden fog?"

"That's what we've got to find out…" I said reaching for the thickest vine I could find. I gave it a little tug before I just hopped it would be tough enough to hold us both.

"Here," I said reaching for him. "Hold on tight."

He frowned again before nodding hesitantly and doing as I said. Getting in position I got ready to push us off, but right before I did I looked over at Cilan and smiled. "Just try and pretend it's like cooking, okay?"

He seemed a little less than convinced, but I knew stalling would just make him feel worse, so I pushed us off without even telling him when.

" _This isn't like cooking!"_ He shouted before clutching his eyes shut. I was guessing he was afraid of heights, and not just purloin…

But I don't know, I was actually having fun. And I figured if he'd just open his eyes he might too. The wind was rushing through our hair, and we were together, so that's what mattered, right? Maybe he sort of thought the same thing, because he peeked open one eye and looked over at me. I just smiled, and he did his best to return it even though he looked paler than ever.

When we finally landed on the ground he took a few shaky steps backward before bracing his hand against a tree.

"You, okay?" I asked, a little concerned.

He huffed in a few breathes before nodding. "Yes, though…" He frowned looking to the side. "I'm more embarrassed than anything…"

I grinned. "Hey, you don't have to worry about impressing me, if that's what it is."

He sighed before he stood up straight again and dusted himself off. "Thank you, Iris, though...I still find it rather untasteful to appear so weak in front of you of all people…"

I felt my shoulders slump. "Is this a guy thing or something? Because everybody needs help, and can't be good at everything, you know?"

Cilan smiled weakly at me as he walked back over. "Very true, but sometimes admitting to those vulnerabilities can be difficult."

I sighed. "Or in other words, your macho pride just took a hit?"

He laughed a little as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "One could say that perhaps, yes."

I shook my head with a shrug. "What am I going to do with you…?"

Pride aside, we still needed to figure out where this fog was coming from. So we started heading forward. I'd even lost Fraxure, but I figured he'd still be with the others, or at least I hoped so…

The fog was so thick that I almost couldn't see anything, so I was completely taken by surprise when I felt my foot land on nothing. I tried to get my balance back, but it was too late and I was dangling off the side of a cliff before I even knew what was happening.

"Iris!" I heard Cilan shout as I saw him staring down over the edge at me.

I gritted my teeth and held on to the side of the rock as best I could, but it wasn't a sure grip by any means.

"I'm okay...for now…" I mumbled out, trying to forget how badly my arms were aching.

"Just hold on, I'm coming for you!" He shouted again as he grabbed something to steady himself, and then leaned over the edge.

I knew this must have made swinging from a vine seem easy, because not even I wanted to look down to see how far this drop would be.

"Take my hand, I'll pull you up!"

"Or just fall off yourself!" I shouted back at him. "Just go get help!"

I knew it was pretty much a useless conversation, because it wasn't like I would have just left him dangling over the side of a cliff either, but… If I could just reach Dragonite's pokeball… But before I could even attempt it, Cilan was just a few inches away, holding out his hand. When I let go and grabbed his hand, I wasn't sure if he'd be able to hold on to both of us at this angle, but I didn't see many other options. So on a leap of faith, I let go and grabbed at Cilan's sweaty palm life it meant my life. Which...it actually did.

I saw him cringe under the strain, but then he pulled us both up without much of a hitch. Collapsing on our knees we both were too busy gasping for breath and composure to say anything. But after a few moments I looked over at him with a weary but playful grin.

"Does your pride feel any better now…?"

He smiled in relief before he scooted closer and looked at me carefully. Then he frowned suddenly. "Iris, you're bleeding!"

I looked at my arm where I felt a definite sting. Apparently something must have scraped me during the ordeal. "Oh, it's not so bad… I mean I would have been bleeding in a lot worse ways if I'd fallen from there."

"Even so," he protested, as he reached to pull his bowtie loose and wrap the silk cloth around my arm. "An open wound is at risk of infection."

I wanted to say that considering I had been dangling off a cliff, and was on the trail of a possibly dangerous criminal, the last thing I was worried about was infection. But instead I just smiled and let him worry about me, since I knew he would have no matter what I said.

"Thanks, it feels a little better already, Cilan."

He smiled softly, before he carefully helped me stand up, as if I really was some helpless damsel. That was hardly true, but he seemed to be enjoying believing it, so I let it go.

"Okay, so now which way should we go?" I asked as I looked all around, but still only saw white.

Cilan rubbed at his chin in thought. "Needless to say we won't be able to continue in the same direction…" He meant the way the cliff was of course. "So, we can either deviate to the right or left."

I shrugged. "Well, then I guess one is as good as the other."

So we were about to just head off, when we heard something that stopped us in our tracks.

Stepping out from the layers of white was none other than Cole.

"Why have you led this party of people after me…? What do you want from me…?" He said with a serious but not really threatening gaze.

Cilan stepped in front of me and frowned. "We want to know what you're doing here of course, Cole."

His eyes went wide for a second before he frowned. "Cole…" he said repeating what Cilan had said. "How do you know that name…?"

We both looked at each other, wondering why he didn't remember talking to us only two days ago. But it was plain on his face, he didn't, and he wasn't faking it.

"Don't you remember us, Cole, we met just days ago?" Cilan clarified.

"No…" He said simply, but firmly. "That…" he hesitated as a painful look appeared on his face.

"Was someone else…"

Before either of us could ask what he meant, we saw light gather around him until he was completely glowing. I covered my eyes for just a second, but when I opened them again it wasn't Cole standing in front of us…

No, it was a Zoroark.

Elder was right to tell me that this was just like a trial or test. Because life was like that wasn't it…? It was filled with one twist after another, and in the end what mattered was how you reacted to each one.

So standing there, all I _wished,_ was that I really would be able to walk this path.

This path, that everything unknown seemed to be pushing me down...

 **More coming soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 (Iris' POV)

"A Zoroark!?" Cilan gasped as he frowned.

Putting a hand on his shoulder I slowly pushed past, as I kept my eyes on the Zoroark.

"You mean you're not human at all?"

He just stared at us for a few seconds, before he transformed back into the form that looked like the Cole we'd met before.

"No, but I can communicate while in this form. So now I will ask you again...how do you know Cole?"

I let go of the tense breath I was holding. "Well...he rescued me for one thing. Do you know him…? Is he your trainer?"

He frowned before looking down. "The female asks too many questions…"

I frowned right back at him, feeling a little annoyed. "Hey, we're just as confused as you!"

He looked up slowly. "If master Cole felt the need to rescue you then I see no reason to do you any harm. But stay out of my way…"

"Zoroark," Cilan said to get his attention before he turned to leave. "Are you the one responsible for the mysterious crimes in Striaton?"

Zoroark turned back to look at us, and frowned again. "If you mean the prototype, than I hardly think removing something of value from a dangerous man is a crime."

"So you were the one who stole the prototype…?" Cilan mumbled again.

"And almost hit me?" I asked crossing my arms.

"That was a mistake, my apologies, but you were in the way." He said coldly.

"But why would you want the prototype, what could you have gained from that?" Cilan asked taking a step closer.

Zoroark sighed. "You _both_ ask far too many questions… I will only say that it was the right thing to do. It was to safeguard something Rigford had hid within the device. It was in the service of my master, Cole."

"Within the prototype?" Cilan asked seeming as confused as ever.

"Yes…" Zoroark said lightly. "But I've removed it now. And as such the rest of the crude device is of no use to me. You can recover it nearby if you so desire, if that is what you wanted?"

"We wanted answers, Zoroark." I said firmly. "The peace of Unova is at stake. If you know anything about the dragon scales then you have to tell us!" I admit it wasn't very diplomatic or subtle, but I was tired of fighting to figure out what was going on. Not when the answers were probably right in front of us.

He frowned, but hardly seemed intimidated by me. "The scales are the treasure that my master seeks, so it is my duty to find them, I don't care about anything else."

I balled my fists, really angry now. "How can you say that!?"

But Zoroark got an almost sad look on his face. "We are estranged...master Cole and I. But this will be my way to rectify things." Then a serious look came over him. "It will happen shortly…"

And then, before we could say anything else, he darted forward into the fog and disappeared. All we could do was stand there wondering what had just happened. But at least the fog seemed to disappear with him, which meant it must have just been another illusion he'd cooked up. In fact, turning around I saw that the cliff I'd been hanging off of, was really no more than a six foot drop.

He'd tricked us in more ways that one…

I reached to clutch the scrape on my arm, it seemed like the injury was the only thing about it all that _had_ been real…

"Now what?" I finally said, still irritated.

Cilan didn't say anything at first, but then he rubbed at his chin. "We should find the others and explain what happened."

"Yeah I guess so…" I grumbled. But before we could worry about it, we heard Ash calling our names.

"There you are guys!" He said stopping to get his breath. "Where'd you go anyway?"

"Right off a cliff and into another dead end…" I said with a sigh.

Ash just blinked at me seeming as confused as ever, but Cilan reached to put an arm around my shoulders and walked me toward the clearing where Ash was. I knew he probably wanted to tell me to calm down and think things through logically. But that Zoroark had been a real jerk, he didn't even care about what happen to Unova!

"Iris," Cilan whispered calmly. "We should examine this new evidence carefully. I don't think we're really at a dead end at all."

"How's that…?" I mumbled.

"Zoroark may have been unwilling to help us, but I think he still did unwittingly. If you recall, he said the remains of the prototype should be near by?"

"Yeah so?"

"Well, if we can find it, I think I may have an idea of how to find out what special component it was that Zoroark removed."

I cocked an eyebrow. "You mean to find out whatever it was that was so important Rigford wanted to hide it?"

Cilan smiled and raised his index finger. "Precisely."

I sighed. "Fine, I guess we don't have any other choice anyway." Then I looked over at Ash. "Where's Drayden and Chili anyway?"

"Oh, they stayed back because they found something. It was a car or something, was that what you guys were talking about?"

Cilan's face lit up. "See, everything is working out quite tastefully!"

I gave him a weak smile. "Okay, I guess I can't argue with that... At least we don't have to waste time trying to find it now."

He nodded. "Exactly. So please, lead on Ash, I'm eager to see the prototype."

He led us through some bushes and around a few bends, before we came to a clearing. And sure enough there it was, and Drayden and Chili were staring at it like they were trying to figure it out too. Or at least Drayden was, Chili was too busy fangirling over what a cool sports car it was.

"Ure!"

I snapped back to attention when I heard Fraxure running toward me. Dropping to my knees I reached to hug him. "I'm glad you're okay too, Fraxure." I said with a smile.

"Frax!" He cheerfully said before the wound on my arm caught his attention. Sniffing at it a little he pulled back to give me a worried look.

"Ure…?"

I patted his head. "I'm okay, it's just a scratch. Though…" I frowned as I turned to look at Cilan, "I have a feeling your bowtie might never come clean."

Cilan smiled at me before walking over to examine the car. "That's perfectly alright, Iris, I would say it got to fulfill a very noble purpose."

Chili just rolled his eyes, while Cilan rolled up his sleeves and opened the hood. I had to admit I was a little curious myself, so I stood and stepped closer, so I could look over his shoulder.

"Wow, extraordinary!" He beamed, and it made me roll my eyes too.

"Hey, Cilan… You wouldn't happen to be an electronic connoisseur too, would you?"

He laughed. "Why no, I've only read a few articles about the amazing engineering behind this engine. But the design is just as remarkable to me as a fine crafted dish."

Drayden crossed his arms. "What exactly are you hoping to see?"

That just reminded me that we hadn't explained what had happened yet. So I volunteered to fill in what had happened while we were lost in all that fog. Everything still felt pretty hazy to me though. But Cilan didn't seem discouraged in the least. He just dug around under the hood until he finally pulled back with a small device in his hands.

"This is what we were looking for!" He announced happily.

"That?" I asked pointing to it.

He nodded excitedly. "Indeed. This is the heart of the entire device, this is the engine."

"But it's so small!?" I gasped.

He laughed. "Yes, for all his faults it would seem Mr. Rigford's company does amazing work."

I crossed my arms, not wanting to give him any credit. "Well you can think his engineer Lukas, for that."

Cilan nodded again. "And I intend to do just that. In fact, he's going to be the one to help us!"

I just blinked at him for a few seconds. "You're kidding, right? But he works for Slick!"

"That may be…" Cilan mused to himself. "And it is certainly a risk, but I still have to follow my intuition. I don't think Lukas is involved with Mr. Rigford's scheme."

I wasn't sure what scared me more, the thought that I was rubbing off on Cilan, or that we were about to walk into what probably amounted to a huge trap?

"Lukas knows this engine as well as I do my kitchen," he added in confidently. "And just as I would, he would notice any piece that was suddenly out of place. He'd be able to describe what secret item Zoroark deemed so important to remove from the prototype."

Drayden frowned. "How can you be sure this man would be willing to betray the loyalty of his employer?"

Cilan frowned. "I don't know it for sure, but I think it may be our only chance at unraveling these clues. It seems obvious that neither Mr. Rigford, nor Cole and his Zoroark are willing to help us. They both have their own reasons for wanting to find the scales. But Lukas seemed honestly to just be an engineer unaware of his employer's evil ambition."

I thought about it before nodding slowly. "I guess that does make sense… But...isn't that a _really_ big risk?"

Cilan frowned as he got a serious look on his face. "Undoubtedly it is… But we have to remember what Zoroark said… He seemed to believe that his master's goal would be reached very soon. We must assume that he has reason to believe he's close to uncovering what he's looking for. And if that's true…"

I sighed and shook my head. "Yeah I get it, Unova is in big trouble…"

So there it was… Not only were our minds made up to leave, but we already had a mission to complete. Drayden had agreed to stay behind and look for Zoroark, and I thought it was a good idea. That way we'd know right away if something happened near the village of dragons. So all I had was a few more hours before we'd be on our way. Being home had happened so fast that I almost couldn't believe it. And just like a dream that ends way too soon, it was going to fade away before I even had time to really enjoy it.

Not that I didn't feel like it was the right thing to do, but… But the right thing can still be pretty hard sometimes too. So with what time I had left, I just went back home and sat at my little desk again. Leaning my head against those old drawings of flowers I just closed my eyes and tried to hold onto the feeling of home. Because I wanted to remember it… And more than anything, I wanted to come back as soon as this was all over… It didn't mean that I'd live here for the rest of my life, but it was still such a special part of who I was, and I wanted to visit so much more often than I had before.

"Iris…?" I heard a familiar voice say as my front door creaked open. I opened my eyes slowly as I saw Shannon coming into focus.

Leaning up slowly I smiled a little. "Hey, what's up…?"

She frowned slightly. "Elder says you're going again soon…?"

I frowned before nodding. "Yeah, looks like it…"

She took a step closer to me before she gently sunk down onto my bed. "It's so soon… But," she looked up at me. "I understand that you have something important to do. Elder told me that much…"

"It still stinks though, doesn't it…?" I mumbled with a weak smile. "To have a best friend like me, one that's always leaving, and never around…?"

She frowned at me and for a second almost looked mad, which was rare for Shannon. "Don't say that, Iris! You're just trying to protect us all."

"Sorry…" I mumbled weakly.

She shook her head. "It's okay… I just wanted to get to say goodbye this time."

I felt my shoulders slump. "Yeah, me too."

But then the upset look on her face mostly disappeared and she smiled instead. "And I wanted to give you this…" Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a braclet with a blue dragon scale hanging at its center.

"For your journey, and your trial…" She whispered softly.

I smiled gently as I held out my left wrist and pulled back my sleeve.

She carefully tied it in place before looking back up at me. "You know, sometimes I used to wish our paths really were the same… But we've always been so different from the start. And now I realize I can only cheer you on from the sidelines it would seem…"

I shook my head. "No, Shannon, you're doing a lot more than that…" I reached out to take her hand until our fingers were interlocking. "You're my whole reason to fight so hard in the first place… To protect you and your new family make this trial worth enduring."

She smiled softly as her eyes drifted back down to the scale she had given me. "This was my grandmother's...and I had planned to save it for my daughter someday, but… But I thought you might need it even more."

"It means so much to me, Shannon…" I whispered.

She smiled as she looked back up at me, more cheerfully. "I saw you gave your special scale to Cilan."

I nodded slowly, feeling a little awkward still.

She smiled even wider. "I know he'll be sure to treasure it, Iris. And…" She trailed off slowly before focusing on me again, yeah until our eyes met. "Elder thinks you two might be compatible like the legends speak about Reshiram and Zekrom… That's why she thinks it's up to the two of you to protect Unova. Because your spirits are drawing you both to maintain the balance of our world." Her smile softened. "I think so too…"

I nodded. "That may be true… But just because our path is different, doesn't mean it's more important than yours, or anybody else's. The truth is…"

I hesitated before frowning a little. "I always envied your path sometimes. Your life. You always seemed to know what you wanted, and where you were headed. And now you have your very own family, you know just where you belong… If I'm honest...there were days when I wished more than anything, that I was...well you."

"Oh Iris…" She whispered before squeezing my hand tighter. Then she grinned just a little. "Isn't that funny, since I always looked up to you…? Since I always wanted to be _you_ instead?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess it is… I guess that's why wishes don't really do you much good, huh?"

She shook her head suddenly, like she was really sure about what she had to say. "No, Iris, I don't think wishes are a waste… I just think that sometimes we don't really understand what we should be wishing for… Because if we did, we'd probably realize we were getting just what we needed…"

For a second or two all I did was look at her. Because I knew she was right… As much as I wished I could have had parts of her life, I knew I wouldn't have been happy with that. I had to have my own life, my own way, that was made just for me. And even though it was going to be different, it was the only thing that would work, that would really make me happy. So it was worth the wait, wasn't it?

Smiling at Shannon I held both her hands tightly in mine, and for a second I thought we were kids again. "Do you really like him, Shannon? Cilan, I mean?"

She laughed. "Of course! And it was just like I always thought... You were meant to leave the village and discover things for yourself. You were meant to be a part of something different, that was far away from here." She grinned a little wider. "Now I know I was right about that."

For a second it was all I could do not to cry, so I just leaned forward and pulled her into a big hug. "Most of all, Shannon…" I whispered. "I'm just really glad I can be a part of _your_ family…"

She laughed as she held on just as tight. "I am too, Iris. So…" She pulled back and looked at me deeply. But still with a smile that almost seemed as simple and certain as could be. "So when the time comes, promise you'll let me be a part of yours too…?"

"I'd…" I swallowed hard as my voice trembled. "I'd like that a lot…"

That afternoon on the long drive back, with home getting farther and farther away, all I could do was keep moving forward. I reached to wrap my hand around the tiny scale she had given me.

It was all I could do...

It was funny though, in a way it felt good to see Striaton city again too. I hadn't really been expecting to miss it at all but… Elder must have been right about how there really was something I liked about the city. Of course most of all, I knew it was Cilan's home and I figured he'd missed it the same way I did mine in the village of dragons.

So even though it had only been a couple of days, it felt special when we got to see the gym again. Cilan was the one to unlock the door while Chili and Cress waited with me and Ash. Cilan didn't say anything at first though, he just slowly picked up the closed sign that had been hanging from the knob.

Smiling a little to himself he almost looked sort of sad. "I never imagined how much I would miss my restaurant… But in any case,"

Chili stretched sleepily before he pushed past Cilan. "In any case I'm gonna hit it."

I rolled my eyes. "You just slept for hours in the car…"

He shrugged, before jerking a thumb at his chest. "Yeah but it's not the same, and it takes a lot of recharge time to keep this fire burning!"

Cress just sighed, before glancing around. "It is rather late by now, but I could do with some tea before I retire…"

Cilan grinned. "That sounds lovely, Cress, I'll join you as soon as I get back from walking Iris and Ash to the pokemon center."

Cress nodded. "I'll keep the kettle on the fire."

So after his brothers disappeared inside, Cilan stepped back out to meet Ash and me. Ash was mostly a zombie by this point, and even Pikachu was drooping off his shoulder.

"It's certainly been a busy day, hasn't it?" Cilan asked as he glanced over at Ash.

He rubbed his eyes before letting go of a yawn. "Yeah, you said it Cilan...I'm plenty beat…"

We didn't really say much else the rest of the walk. We were all exhausted, so it was just as well I guess. But… It couldn't help but remind me of the first time the three us were here together like this. Ash had been set on his first Unova gym battle, and I was still trailing behind him since we'd met in the forest earlier. To be honest, I didn't really know why I'd followed him to begin with, but it had just seemed to fall into place. And when we made it to Striaton and met Cilan, everything just seemed like a given then, didn't it?

And before I knew it...I felt at home with the two of them. So when our first journey finally ended, I almost forgot that just months before they both would have been strangers to me. It was just too hard to believe had we hadn't always been best friends… And to think that was eleven years ago now… The stars were still dim, and the streets were even noisy at nighttime, but I still felt happy to see this place again. It was where I'd first met Cilan after all. But the thing was…

I glanced between Ash and Cilan, who were walking on either side of me.

The thing was… I knew that not even best friends could be together forever, could they? Dawn and Shannon were both far away now, and I knew it was just a matter of time before Ash would be too. That was just how life was I guess… But it didn't stop me from wanting to hold onto this moment forever. Because even if we didn't say anything, just knowing they were nearby...well it still meant a lot to me.

"Well…" Cilan said lightly as we stepped up to the center. "Here we are."

Ash stuck his hands in his pockets before turning to face us. Blinking back tiredness he yawned again. "I guess tomorrow we have a lot to do, huh?"

Cilan nodded. "Yes, we'll have to figure out a way to get a secret audience with Lukas again. But I wouldn't worry, I already have a few ideas."

Ash grinned a little. "Sounds great, anyway… Night you guys."

"Goodnight, Ash." I mumbled.

"Yes, pleasant dreams." Cilan wished him with a grin.

So stepping inside, he disappeared behind the sliding glass doors until it was just Cilan and Fraxure standing on the step with me. It was so late already, and tomorrow really would be a big day, so I should have just told him goodnight and let him go. But...for some reason I kept hesitating.

Yeah, and to make things worse I opened my mouth and said something awkward right off the bat…

"Cilan...what's going to happen when this case is over…"

I wasn't sure why I'd said it, because I hadn't even really been thinking it. Or at least not exactly... Sure I'd been thinking about Ash, and even how things were with Shannon. But… The truth was, I was still wondering how I fit into everything. Cilan and me really were from different worlds, weren't we? And even though we liked both those worlds, out homes were still really special to us. Elder seemed to think we belonged together, but how were we going to be if we were from such different places. How did you meet in the middle of everything and make it work…?

It seemed like Cilan hadn't gotten what I meant at all. "Mr. Rigford and anyone else involved will be brought to justice, and with them paying their debt to society the scales and all of Unova will be safe. I wouldn't worry about that."

I bit my lip. It would be so easy to just let it go at that. He didn't ever need to know I was actually talking about us... But the thing about best friends is, you always have to be honest…

"That's...not what I was talking about…" I mumbled out, looking down.

"Oh…?" Cilan asked, cluelessly.

I rubbed at my sleeve, wondering why he had to make me spell it out. But I couldn't take feeling so mixed up and frustrated, so I just blurted out what I was thinking.

"Do you really believe Elder, you know, all that stuff about us being meant to be or something…?" I was glad it was so dark, because I knew my face must have been pretty red.

Cilan opened his mouth then closed it again, before reaching to adjust his bowtie, yeah, forgetting it was still wrapped around my arm.

"I don't think it has much to do with being meant to be…" he finally whispered. "At least not in the sense of our having no choice in the matter. Just like everyone, we have the freedom to make choices for ourselves. Now, that isn't to say that our unique energy isn't drawing us together in hopes of our making a positive choice. But even when a certain attraction is a scientific fact, things can always happen to alter that pull. It's still up to us to choose our future…." He trailed off and looked at the ground.

I wasn't really sure how I should take what he said, it sounded more like something out of a textbook than the answer to a question about love. And this wasn't just any love we were talking about, it was supposed to be ours.

"So...what exactly are you saying…?" I asked slowly as I crossed my arms and looked to the side. I was a little shocked that I felt upset with him, but I tried not to let it show too much. Though, I knew that was pretty much impossible, I could never hide my feelings for anything… And he knew it too, because when I glanced back at him, he was frowning and looked worried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…" He whispered gently."

I nodded, but couldn't really force myself to let go of the feeling.

"I simply meant that…" He hesitated before going on. "I don't want you to feel pressured, as if you had no choice but to be with me… Love under compulsion isn't really love at all… I just meant that my feelings for you are of my own free will. That regardless of how much we may be drawn to each other, we still have a choice. Because…that choice is something I'll always treasure, Iris…"

I didn't know what to say, here he was meaning things that were so kind and thoughtful, and I'd just gotten mad at him. I felt my shoulders slump.

"The thing is, Cilan… All my life I've been on the move, almost like I've been running from something that might catch up with me. I told myself that I was just looking for something, and maybe I was, but… But I still can't help but think I've been running away too… If it wasn't for my handful of friends, I wouldn't even know what it means to be loved in the first place. But even so, it's not always easy for me to accept or understand their feelings." I looked up at him. "And now this is really new… I just don't know how to feel, or what to do about it…"

I felt my fists clench until my nails were digging into my palms. But that pain wasn't anything like what I was feeling inside. So maybe that's why I just had to ask one last time.

"Are you really in love with me? You know...even though I'm-" But that was as far as I got before he cut me off. It was only a little kiss, over before I could even close my eyes, but still, it was my first... When he pulled away he took a full two steps backward and bowed slightly.

"My apologies for being so direct…" he mumbled softly before he looked up at me again. "But a surprising question such as that, can be difficult to answer any other way." His face was just as red as mine, but he still tried to keep a composed disposition. That almost made me want to laugh.

I looked to the side and frowned awkwardly. "Well, I guess that answers that question then, huh…?"

Even though I felt like cringing, I got up the nerve to look back at him, yeah, just in time to see him smile at me cheerfully.

"I would say so."

Neither of us said anything else after that, and it felt like forever, but I knew it must have been no more than a minute tops. So finally he was the one to break the ice. He smiled at me softly, and even though I got how special this moment actually was, in so many ways it was just the same…

He was still the same old Cilan he'd always been...

"Goodnight, Iris."

"Yeah...g-goodnight…" I mumbled back as I watched him walk away, only stopping to wave slightly before he turned the corner.

Then just like he'd never been there in the first place, he was gone. My legs almost gave out under me, so I sunk down to my knees beside Fraxure. He was looking at me, and I was shocked that even Fraxure could seem smug.

"Hey…" I said pretending to be annoyed. "What's that face for…?"

"Ure, ure." He said simply, with a smirk and shrug.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh nothing to say, huh? Well, I bet you're thinking plenty." I said frowning playfully.

That's when his face finally softened into his old childish smile. "Ure!" He shouted cheerfully as he leapt into my arms. I tumbled backward a little before getting my balance and sitting back up.

I laughed. "Carefully there, you're not so little anymore, Fraxure." Then I pulled him a little closer. "But yeah… I'm happy too…"

"Frax…" He mumbled into my shoulder as I just held on as tight as I could.

So like before, I really did think the stars looked brighter tonight…

That night I slept soundly, yeah even though I had every reason in the world for staring holes in the ceiling. Doesn't everyone stay awake staring at the ceiling after their first kiss. And that wasn't even counting the world being at stake. But leave it to me to be different about everything...

Drama aside, I was as starved as ever when the morning did come. So after jumping into my clothes I headed down to the cafeteria to meet up with Ash. And it wasn't like it was a shock to see him there already, stuffing his face, but what I wasn't expecting was to see Dawn rolling her eyes across the table from here.

"Ash Ketchum, you can take on legendaries, but I swear you're gonna choke to death one day!"

"Dawn…?" I mumbled out, suddenly feeling like I was walking down the street in my pajamas. Leave it to Dawn to show up at the most awkward time in my life possible…

"Iris!" She shouted as she raced over to wrap me in a huge hug.

I smiled a little. Not that it wasn't really good to see her all the same. I laughed a little when we finally pulled back. "It's awesome to see you, but… What are you doing here, I thought you had a big contest?"

She sighed and poked her fingers together. "Yeah, about that… Well, I kinda lost the last round. But!" She said turning it into something positive right away. "I figured it was just as well, that way I could come give you guys a hand. And hey, I'm just glad to see you're still in one piece!"

I grinned a little awkwardly. "Yeah, more or less…"

"Anyway, I don't know what you guys have planned, but I thought I might be able to help out." Then she jerked her thumb toward Ash. "If he ever gets done eating anyway."

I grinned. "Yeah, actually I could use something myself." I said as we heard my stomach growl right on cue.

"Well then, why don't we head over to Cilan's," Dawn said, not missing a beat as usual. "I haven't eaten his food in years, and I wouldn't mind paying either."

Ash scratched at the side of his face. "Why would you worry about paying?"

Dawn snapped around to frown at him, her tone seemed pretty ironic. "That would be because I don't want to _take my friends for granted_ , Ash."

"Oh…" He mumbled out before shrugging at Pikachu.

I just sighed. At least I wasn't the _most_ mixed up one out of this bunch…

Not surprisingly the smell of breakfast was already filling the restaurant when we made it there. Cress was arranging fresh flowers for the tables, and Chili looked to be boredly folding napkins. So I knew Cilan must be busy cooking in the kitchen. We told everybody good morning and introduced Dawn to Chili and Cress, but mostly I was feeling kind of awkward...

Seeing him, I mean. It was stupid I knew, but I couldn't really help it, so I just decided to sit and wait with Ash and Dawn.

Nothing gets past her sixth sense though, because she was quick to elbow me and whisper: "Everything okay, Iris?"

I swallowed hard and almost took my tongue with it. "Y-Yeah of course!"

She gave me a look, that pretty much said she was letting me get away without explaining because we were friends. I just sighed. How crazy was this? I had the fate of Unova hanging over me, and yet all I could do was feel awkward over one little kiss. It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't.

Or at least that's what I repeated again and again until the words were running together inside my head. Which was also right about when the door to the kitchen came swinging open and Cilan stepped out, balancing two trays.

He walked over to our table like he'd been expecting us, which I guess he had. Well, all except Dawn, anyway.

"Why, Dawn, what a pleasant surprise!" He beamed with a smile. "I hadn't expected you to be in Unova?"

She shrugged. "Yep, which is why we coordinators are always reminded to expect the unexpected. So...here I am!"

He chuckled a little. "I'll just go fix another plate then."

When he walked back toward the kitchen, Dawn leaned into my shoulder again. "Aww he's so sweet, Iris…"

I tried to grin, but it was hard when I just felt like sliding under the table…

When Cilan came back with Dawn's plate, and he sat down himself, the conversation turned to the last few days. Or should I say the crazy things that had happened during them. Dawn was full of questions, so we all filled her in until all that was left were the questions we all had. Cilan explained how we needed to talk to Lukas today and even his plan of how he'd make it happen. As it turns out, Cilan was one of those that _didn't_ sleep at all right after his first kiss. (That was his first too, right?)

Instead, after midnight he donned a disguise and left a note with the hotel clerk where Lukas had been staying before. Asking him to meet us at that same coffee shop on the corner. I was glad to hear we had a plan, but I was a little worried how he was even going to think straight with so little sleep. But he honestly seemed as perky as ever.

I narrowed my eyes at him as my brain drifted off topic again. It had to be his first kiss, right…? I mean I knew he had a lot of fangirls, I'd seen plenty of them the first time I set foot in his gym, but...

"Iris?" He asked suddenly, tilting his head to the side.

I snapped back to the awkward present. "Yeah!?"

He smiled. "It was just, you seemed quite lost in thought for a moment there. Do you have any reservations about this plan?"

I shook my head before reminding myself to put my mouth in gear. "N-No, I mean besides the usual danger and all, of course…" So yeah, I then just decided to stop while I _wasn't_ ahead and shut up, since my brain wasn't in gear.

He nodded, returning, thankfully, to business. "Well, we still have a few hours before the proposed time of our meeting. And yes, Iris is right, this could be dangerous, since we're dealing so closely with someone involved with Mr. Rigford, but I feel it's our only option."

Dawn nodded too, before eyeing me. "Yeah...seems like it."

Once again I felt like she was able to see right through me, which meant I knew what was coming as soon as breakfast was over. Because when she volunteered the both of us to wash the dishes, I knew it was just a _trap_ the likes of which would have made Slick proud…

And like all female interrogation sessions go, no one said anything more than usual small talk for the first five minutes, and then, all in one wallop, she asked the very question I'd been both not expecting, and yet, somehow dreading...

"He kissed you, didn't he?"

I dropped the cup I'd been rinsing and had to scramble to grab it again before it hit the floor.

"Dawn…" I moaned out. "How did you even…?"

She laughed and looked smug for a second. "It's easy, Iris, people all look different after they've been kissed by their one true love."

I frowned, and seriously considered burying my head in the dish water. "Oh please...That sounds like something out of a little kid's fairytale…"

She winked at me. "But you two _are_ like a fairytale, all that about being perfectly matched and completing each other!"

I sighed trying to ignore how embarrassed I felt. "Yeah I guess…"

She shook her head with a grin. "You guess? Oh please, you two are so romantic that it almost makes me giddy just thinking about it!"

I cringed. "Oh give me a break, Dawn, I think you're exaggerating a little…"

She smiled a little softer. "Hey, I'm just really happy for you is all. And…"

I smiled back at her, before I closed my eyes and sighed. "Anyway… I guess if I'm honest it just threw me for a loop is all… I really wasn't expecting it. And so much has happened lately that it seems like I still haven't had time to process our relationship to begin with…"

Dawn was polishing a spoon when she stopped and looked over at me. "You can try and think things through too much, ya know right? Mostly it's just about going from here. When you have a crush as a kid, it's all just about wondering if they like you back. But when you get older and finally find out that they do, well, then it gets harder, and you have to worry about what you're even supposed to do now."

She smirked at me. "So yeah, I guess you guys _aren't_ exactly like a fairytale, because otherwise you wouldn't have so much trouble finding happily ever after, now would you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny…"

She smiled wider, before her tone got a little more serious. "But that's what being an adult is all about, I think. Choosing paths and hoping it's the right one. I can tell ya, it's not easy! But one way or the other, I think we'll find our way through it, we have with every other crazy problem, haven't we?"

I nodded slowly as I thought about what she'd said. Paths. It was just like what Elder and Drayden had said. Though, put a lot different, of course. About my path and what way I should go… The truth was I just wished someone would point out the exact way for me to go. But I knew it wasn't going to be that simple, I had to choose some things for myself, and then trust and wait for the rest to work out.

But that really wasn't easy… Yeah, even though I knew it was the right thing to do.

Still though, I knew I couldn't just sit around and _wish_.

Instead I had to work hard at building the future I wanted, at finding and walking my path…

So...with all my friends beside me, that's just what I was determined to do.

 **Thanks so much for the amazingly kind reviews! This story means a lot to me, and has been a real blast to write, so I'm glad you all are enjoying. Stick around for more to come soon!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author Note: Just as a side point so I don't** **offend** **anyone, there is some hinted P** **earl** **shipping (AshxDawn) in this chapter. I'm not a** **multi-shipper** **though, and am in fact a die hard Pokeshipper. But my personal** **head-canon** **/** **opinion is that the original series Ash went out with the change in voice actors that happened around the start of the diamond and pearl season. To me the two Ashes are just different in terms of personally and identity. (though sharing some traits of course) The same could be said for the XY Ash in my opinion. It took some time to come to shipper peace about all that, but now I feel like it fits pretty well if you stop to think about it.**

 **But anyway, I'll stop rambling now. :)**

Chapter 16 (Iris' POV)

I won't lie about it, having Dawn around was kind of nice. I mean to have another girl to talk to about everything that was going on. Though, at the same time, Dawn could be… What was the word…? Just as over the top as Cilan? In her own way, yeah definitely…

"Well what do ya think?" She asked excitedly as she posed with the trench coat she'd just put on. "Gives me the detective vibe, doesn't it, Iris?" She winked at me, and flipped up the collar until she looked like something out of a black and white movie.

I sighed. "Not exactly subtle though, is it…?"

She laughed. "Yeah yeah, I know, I'm just kidding around. But hey, you have to admit it's at least a little exciting."

I crossed my arms and shook my head playfully. "Here I thought you were on my side. But you're turning out just like Cilan…"

She smirked. "I used to think he was a little weird before too, but this is a serious mystery this time around."

I sighed again. "Seems like everybody says that about him…"

Finally taking off the ridiculous coat, Dawn laughed again. "Well he's got a pretty 'unique flavor' as he'd put it." She said adding air quotes.

I slumped my shoulders but still grinned a little. "Can't really argue with that…"

"But hey," she leaned to elbow me in the side. "That's what makes him so much fun, right?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking back to so many years ago when I'd basically told him the same thing. "Yeah...he keeps it interesting anyway."

Pushing a few stray hairs in place, she turned to look back over at me. "Anyway, I'm ready whenever you guys are. And this time, no creepy villain is going to steal my best friend!"

I smiled at her, but didn't get to say anything before we saw Cilan walking toward us.

"Excuse me ladies," he interrupted politely. In fact, it was so polite it almost seemed weird. But then, it was Cilan after all, and weird was a word that had been coming up a lot lately. "We should leave right away so we won't be rushed. After all, it seems like we might have some rain this afternoon, so we should take things at a careful speed."

"Is Cress letting us use his car?" I asked simply.

"He offered, but I think another option would be more discreet, Iris."

I felt myself frown, if this went anything like last time, it would either involve more awkward cab rides, or getting soaked from walking. Or both…

"The pedestrian foot traffic is high at this time of day in that part of town. Even the rain doesn't stop shoppers or businessmen from carrying out their scheduled commerce."

"So…" I mumbled less than thrilled. "We're walking in the rain then…?"

He smiled. "Of course not, to ask two ladies to do such would hardly be considered the chivalrous thing to do. But I have a solution!"

Oh boy…

"An umbrella!"

I didn't want to ask if that was it, if that was all his big idea was. Well actually I did want to ask exactly that, but I swallowed it when I saw how satisfied he seemed to be with his plan.

"Or more precisely," he went on excitedly. " _Two_ umbrellas!"

The thing was, umbrellas didn't do all that much in heavy rain when it was just one person per, so with two of us huddled under each one I knew I'd be wet and cold before the day was over. In fact, it seemed sort of funny considering everything seemed to come in _threes_ with Cilan and his brothers. Even their gym badge had trio in the name, but when it came to umbrellas it was just...two.

So we headed out, and Ash was sharing his umbrella with Dawn. And surprisingly, he was actually doing a pretty good job of not cluelessly hogging it and leaving her soaked. Needless to say Cilan seemed like an expert at this sort of thing. In typical connoisseur fashion, he was as poised as ever holding an umbrella over me. Not walking too fast or slow, and well… He just seemed like he'd done this before.

And there it was again, that super annoying feeling. It made my forehead bunch and my stomach turn the more time I spent thinking about it. Weird or not, Cilan really was a gentleman, so there wasn't any wonder why he was so popular with all those girls that used to flock in to watch his gym battles. Honestly, way back then, I used to think they must have been airheads to ever act that out of it over some guy, but it all just made me wonder now…

Wonder if maybe one of them ever got up the nerve to ask him out. It wasn't like he was ever serious, or in love with them, but… But he was so polite, I could just see him agreeing to a cup of coffee or something. I could see him laughing and talking with one of those fangirls, and she'd probably think she was really special. Yeah more than any of the rest…

But it was stupid, even if that happened it was ancient history now, right? So why did it make me feel so horrible when I thought about it…? Wasn't that what I'd meant last night too? Wondering why _I_ really had turned out to be the special one? So even though it made me feel like the airhead, the truth was, I was jealous. Yeah even though I might have just been jealous of my imagination. How pathetic was that…?

The obvious answer of course was, _really_ pathetic. But it didn't stop me from feeling like that anyway… I guess back home in the village of dragons it was easy to feel like I was the only one Cilan could ever give attention to, but here… Back in the city was the rest of his life, the life that for years I hadn't even had much to do with… But it wasn't like we had time to deal with silly feelings, all of Unova could have been at stake! So when the coffee shop came into view I tried to pull my brain back into the here and now.

Cilan stopped in front of the shop and turned toward Ash and Dawn, a slightly more serious look coming to his face. "I know it's still raining, but it would be helpful if the two of you could keep an eye out for anything suspicions." He frowned, and seemed pretty worried as he focused on Ash. "We wouldn't want to be ambushed or caught off guard by any unexpected tricks. Keep watch over Dawn, Ash."

He nodded. "Leave it to me, Cilan, I'll take good care of her." Then he glanced over at Dawn, who was frowning just to hide the blush I saw on her face.

"Fair enough, but it's more like I'll be keeping him out of trouble."

Cilan smiled a little bit, before he nodded toward me and we walked inside. Just like before, Lukas was sitting at the same table in a back corner. And just like before he looked as nervous as ever. Something told me he'd be better off if he quit his job, because I could only imagine having to deal with Slick on a regular basis. One good thing, was that the coffee shop was pretty busy, everybody was hiding from the rain I think. It made us not stick out so much.

Or at least as much as you didn't stick out when everyone knew you were champion. The truth was I had almost gotten used to ignoring the stares I got everywhere. And today wasn't going to be any different, in fact it turned out to be worse. Because we weren't more than three steps in the door before a very curious little boy, no older than six, walked over to me and tugged on my sleeve.

"Hey…" he mumbled as I looked down at him. "You're the champ, right…? You have lots of pokemon?" He asked as an excited look appeared in his eyes.

Even though the timing was pretty lousy, it was at least a little funny.

Take that Cilan, I have fans too!

Though thankfully, I didn't think I was in any danger of this one asking me out. I knelt down and smiled at him. "Yep, that's right, I'm Iris. What's your name?"

"Matty…" He mumbled suddenly seeming shy.

"And this would be your cottonie I take it?" Cilan asked with a smile as he bent over, his hands on his knees.

"Yes sir…" He mumbled back, as the cottonie in question appeared along with an embarrassed woman that I guessed was the boy's mom.

"Sweetheart, please don't bother the trainers." She said reaching for his hand, and giving us an apologetic look.

"No need to apologize." Cilan said with a cheerful smile, before he waved goodbye to Matty as his mom slowly led him away.

His mom nodded out a thank you before they disappeared back over to their table. I didn't really like all the attention I got from adults, but I didn't mind the little kids. They always reminded me of myself at that age I guess. I'd looked up to Elder and Drayden pretty much the same way.

Even though I still felt pretty conspicuous, we at least tried to blend back into the crowd and get back to business.

"Looks like you're pretty popular…" Lukas mumbled when we finally sat down across from him. "I should have known it was you when I got that note this morning."

"We really appreciate you agreeing to meet with us, Lukas." Cilan said with a nod. "Because the twists and turns of our investigation has lead us to fear grave outcomes. We could really use you help with something."

"M-me…?" He stammered. "I want to help, but I don't see what I could do…"

I guess that was the cue, because Cilan reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out the tiny part for the prototype engine.

"What! You found it!?" He gasped.

Cilan nodded. "Indeed, and as I understand it, this is the circuit that runs the electric engine. The brain of the device, am I right?"

Lukas nodded as his glasses slipped down his nose in disbelief. "Yes… It's what makes the prototype so remarkable."

"I see…" Cilan whispered as he rubbed his chin. "And as its engineer, I'd imagine you'd have no problem noticing any pieces that might be missing?"

Without saying anything Lukus reached for the device and started to look it over. After about a minute or so he looked back up at us.

"Two metal discs are missing." He said confidently.

Cilan narrowed his eyes. "Lukas...I understand you have limited knowledge about what is going on, but anything you could tell us would be of much help. I'm sorry to say the fate of Unova may hang in the balance."

He frowned and looked back down at the circuit. "They were just something Mr. Rigford insisted on me including. They didn't do anything to add to the functioning, I know that much for sure. But as for what they are, or even where they came from… No, I'm sorry, I just don't have any idea."

He looked back up at us. "The truth is, Mr. Rigford is very eccentric and would often make strange requests without explaining them. I just assumed this was another one."

Cilan closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, that told me he was trying to piece things together. Then just as suddenly he snapped his eyes open again. "Thank you Lukas, we appreciate your help."

Then I noticed Cilan's hand ball into a fist. "I'm not sure how deeply involved you are with Mr. Rigford, but I would highly suggest that you cease your employment with him at once. He's a dangerous man, and I have no doubt the police will bring him to justice for his crimes."

Lukas's forehead bunched in a mixture of worry and shock. "But that's…" Then he swallowed hard as he slowly stood. "Thank you for the warning, I...hope you can figure everything out."

And with that he headed for the door with the circuit tugged in his jacket pocket. Neither of us said anything at first, until I decided to break the ice. "So...you still think he's not working with Rigford?"

Cilan frowned. "I can't be sure… I feel like Lukas' intentions are good, but I fear he might have been mislead by Rigford. Tricked into believing that he was helping the side of good by assisting Rigford."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah maybe… But it still seems like a stretch to assume all that from such a simple conversation, right?"

"I'd have to disagree, Iris, though it was hardly just the conversation that lead me to this conclusion…" His voice was low and tense and I almost thought something might have been wrong with him, but I went on anyway.

"Yeah? And what about these metal discs, what's up with that?"

But it seemed like the more I said the tighter his frown got. Until I was about to ask what was wrong with him, but right before I could an old familiar scent hit me. It was a little disguised by the smell of so much coffee, but it was still unmistakeable…

Cilan scooted his chair closer to mine, as he glared across the table at the man who had suddenly taken the seat that had been Lukas'.

I felt my heart leap into my throat as all the pieces fitted together and I realized who was now sitting just a cumple feet away.

"And here I am, cutting in again… Just like old times, no?" Slick whispered with an evil smirk as he reached to sip his coffee, as if nothing was wrong.

"Well, you'll have to excuse me, my dear," he said glancing at me. "But the two of us do seem to be meeting in the most interesting of places…"

Cilan gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed. "If you stop to remember correctly… It was me who cut in both times before… And you can be sure it'll be the same if you ever try to harm Iris in any way again!"

Slick just smirked though. "Cute. As always cute. But you see I have no further use of you or your dear Iris. You see, it was my mistake to ever believe the two of you could be of help to my interests."

"What are you talking about?" Cilan asked slowly, without taking his glare off of him. I just quietly reached for Dragonite's pokeball until I knew I was one button press away from ruining Slick's day.

"Well it seems obvilous that I know more than you, so I don't see how you could be of any help. You needed the aid of my engineer to discern what should have been apparent. You don't understand the nature of the discs, or even that you should have been looking for them. And yet...they are _key_ to everything that I seek." He laughed. "Yes I see clearly now that you are nothing more than meddling children in adult affairs."

Then he frowned slightly. "Though...it would seem that there is at least one thing you could still help me with. And that would be the location that you discovered my prototype. Because I imagine the original thief is the one who has my two missing discs."

"Humpf, like we'd ever help you with anything!" I said glaring at him.

He smiled. "Oh, well I wouldn't be so sure of that…"

Then, taking me by surprise, he reached over the table and grabbed my wrist. I hadn't seen it coming, but I thought this was Dragonite's perfect cue. And I was half a second away from calling him out when Cilan beat me to the punch and shoved his chair back, leaping mostly across the table. He had Slick's collar in both hands as he tugged him out of his seat slowly.

"A gentleman," he said in an almost eerily calm, but firm tone. "Keeps his hands to himself."

Slick glared right back at him, but kept his grip around my wrist as tight as ever. I honestly wasn't sure where this was going to go next, but before we could find out we heard _another_ familiar voice.

"It was always like you to make a scene, Richard, wasn't it?"

Across from us a man who had been sitting behind a newspaper looked over at us. Folding up the paper he pulled his chair over to our table.

"Cole…?" I mumbled not sure what was going on, but sort of happy to see him anyway.

He nodded at me, as I felt Slick release his grip suddenly.

"And you were always the one getting in my way…" He shot back as he shrugged Cilan off and scooted his chair out with a loud creak, storming toward the door.

Cole coolly took a sip of his coffee before looking between me and Cilan. "I told you two to leave this alone didn't I?"

"We can't do that." I said firmly. "Not when Unova is at stake!"

Cole frowned. "My uncle may have told you those old legends of Unova being held together by the scales, but I'm here to tell you they're no more than stories. The scales are a major discovery to advance scientific, and historical research. We can't let some superstition stand in the way of all that."

I frowned. "It's not a superstition, Cole, just because you and science might not understand how it works yet."

He sighed. "I'm not here to debate our differing beliefs. But I was here to rescue you again… And who can say what might happen the next…? Why won't you take my advice and leave this alone?"

Cilan sat back down and adjusted his bowtie, almost seeming like he had to get his composure back after Slick had pushed him so far.

"Because we do believe that those legends have merit. Surely you can see, that if even the slightest possibly exists of their being true, then the scales mustn't be disturbed?"

Cole looked to the side before running his hands through his hair. "You kids… How did you even get mixed up in all this…?"

"We both know how, Cole." I spoke up softly. "Because of the prototype getting stolen, and well...maybe this is just something we _need_ ed to get mixed up in. For the good of Unova, and everyone else."

He narrowed his eyes before leaning back in his chair and letting his shoulders relax somewhat. "The missing discs are keys. Keys to the scale chamber."

"What…?" Cilan mumbled slowly.

Cole nodded. "Richard Rigford and I were both apprentices in our younger days. With a passion for discovery, we worked under the guidance of David Zale, or as you know him, the author of 'A Tale of Relics.' He was our mentor and tutor for years as he shared his love of archaeology. When he found the coin that was linked to the legend of the scales it was his crowning achievement. But he passed away without ever knowing just how close he'd been to the truth. Rigford had made a special discovery of his own, but he hid the truth for years. Those were the metals discs, or two keys that presumably unlock the great scale chamber."

"But Zoroark-" Cilan started to say, but was cut off by Cole right away.

"Zoroark? Is he the one who is responsible for taking the prototype?"

Cilan nodded. "Yes, we met him in the forest outside of Opelucid City. He said he took something special from the prototype, something that would mean he'd be able to find the scales soon."

Cole's face dropped. "He's just as foolish and stubborn as ever…"

"He said you're his trainer…" I added in slowly.

Cole nodded sadly. "Yes, I am. And he assisted me in my research involving the scales, until recently when we had a certain disagreement." He look up at the two of us. "You see, Zoroark is as hardheaded as the two of you, and refused to listen to my concerns about his safety either. After a heated argument we went our separate ways, and I haven't seen him in some months… Though it seems now that he's carried on his own investigation, and had greater success than I have. I've wondered where Rigford was hiding the keys for many years now, but it seems they decided to conceal them in his company's star prototype."

Cilan rubbed his chin in thought. "It is likely that, given Zoroark's ability to take the form of anyone, he could have infiltrated Mr. Rigford's compound and found out some very secretive information."

Cole sighed. "It's that very plan that caused us to argue in the first place. And for him to say he believed he was close to finding the scales…" Cole's eyes narrowed. "Then he must really have the two keys after all…"

"Then he could be putting Unova in danger as we speak." I said cutting him off and looking over at Cilan. "I need to tell Drayden." Then I glanced back at Cole. "He just wants to make you happy, and you just want to honor the memory of your mentor, and Rigford Probably just wants money or power but… But regardless of the reasons, it's Unova and all her people and pokemon that are going to suffer. We have to stop this and fast!"

Cole frowned. "I still don't believe that… But I'm also not willing to be as shortsighted and foolish as Rigford is set on being. I don't want my ambition to blind me…" He stood up and looked down at us. "I'm going to Opelucid City, I don't want you to come, but I have no doubt I'll see you both there anyway… But know one thing for sure… Rigford will not be far behind. He has eyes and ears all across Unova, we have only a brief advantage of time ahead of him."

Just like that Cole disappeared leaving me and Cilan sitting there to pick up the pieces. On one hand I wanted to jump up and run, but on the other, I just wanted a second to catch my breath. So I decided on something right in between. Reaching for Cilan's hand I squeezed it and gave him a weak smile. "Come on, let's go."

He nodded but didn't say anything.

When we got back to the gym it was still raining outside, and I was more or less as wet as I knew I would be. We'd did our best to explain things to Ash and Dawn, and then to Chili and Cress. Next I'd made the important call to Drayden, and he'd said he was still following a mostly cold trail of Zoroark. The worry on his face was pretty obvious to see…

Yeah just like the same looks everybody was wearing in their own way. And it looked like I was going to be headed back close to home a lot sooner than I'd imagined. So little by little the day slipped away as all the important, but tough decisions were made. Chili and Cress would stay behind to be our eyes and ears in Striaton, while Ash, Dawn, Cilan and me headed to Opelucid City to meet Drayden, and probably sooner or late, Cole.

So late that night when once again, all I could see was miles rushing past the car windows, I had so much on my mind...

In the back seat, Ash and Dawn were asleep leaning on each other's shoulders, something I knew she'd probably deny once she woke up. And however small it was, that made me smile just a little bit. Yeah even though everything seemed to be closing in on me again. There really wasn't anywhere to run now, not home or back to Striaton. All I could do was push forward and hope it was enough. Hope I really was strong enough to protect all my friends…

"You should rest…" Cilan whispered softly as he glanced over at me for just a second as he was driving.

I shook my head. "No...it's okay, I'm not really tired." Part of that felt true at least, it was more like I was exhausted but too worried to sleep.

"It was a busy day though…" He countered gently.

I sighed as I felt my shoulders slump. "I'm just worried…"

For a second he didn't say anything, but then he nodded. "Danger can certainly be frightening… Though, I find that responsibly can be even more so."

I looked over at him curiously. "Responsibility…?"

He smiled weakly. "Whenever you feel responsible for protecting someone or something, it can be very frightening."

I leaned back into the seat a little more as I thought about what he meant. I couldn't really get the image of Cilan looking so upset when Rigford grabbed my wrist. The truth was, I'd never seen him look like that before…

"About that…" I mumbled slowly. "I never thanked you for today…"

I noticed his face wince a little before he nodded. "No need to mention that. That was my duty and my honor."

"To protect me…?" I whispered softly.

He smiled bittersweetly. "Yes...though it can be frightening when you wonder if all your efforts will be enough in the end…"

I sighed. "That's just how I feel… Except I think it's my duty to protect _all_ of Unova…"

He nodded slowly, but I didn't miss the worried look on his face. "That might be true, Iris, but… Everything that Elder and Drayden tried to teach us, everything the scales stand for would seem to disagree."

"Huh?" I mumbled. "What do you mean?"

He smiled gently. "If the truth is that Unova can only be saved by maintaining a perfect balance, than I hardly think just _one_ person could do that alone. In fact," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"That would most certainly be the kind of thing for at least _two…_ "

He didn't need to explain it any more, I got what he meant right away. And honestly I felt dumb for thinking anything different. This wasn't just my path, it couldn't be… Because the only way it would work, the only way it would matter or make a difference...

Well...it had to be _our_ path. One we could only walk together…

So leaning over to face the window I slowly closed my eyes. The worries were still there, but at least now I didn't feel like they were just my worries. No…if they were ours, than I thought, together we at least had a shot at dealing with them.

I was thinking about all of that, almost drifting off, when I heard him whisper just loud enough for me to hear.

"I would have you know, that I love you very much, Iris…"

What a funny way of saying it? I almost smiled.

"Mmm hmm..." Was all I hummed out, too tired to even answer back.

But somehow I knew it was enough, because the silence that filled up all around us wasn't really silence at all. No, instead I thought it said a lot. Because even though I wasn't really sure when it had exactly happened, something had.

Now "I love you" felt more and more like a given. Like something you of course knew. Like a simple _truth_. But... at the same time, the _ideal_ of everything it stood for, everything it meant…

Well, I knew I'd never take that for granted either…

It was morning already when my eyes fluttered open again. So sitting up slowly, I tried to blink back the last of the haziness out of my vision. When I did, I saw Cilan fast asleep in the seat next to me, and outside the windows, Opelucid City.

When I'd first left the village to go to school here, it felt anything but home, but now… Well, I guess is a way even here felt special now. I wasn't sure if Drayden would be in the gym or at the academy, but I knew I needed to see him right away. So quietly opening the door I stepped out and tried not to wake anybody. But I only got a few steps away before Dawn's door opened too.

"Oh I didn't know you were up?" I said with a little smile.

She yawned before frowning. "Well, a person can only stand Ash's snoring just so long."

I laughed. "Well let's just let the guys sleep. We need to go find Drayden."

"He's your old mentor or something, right?" She asked.

I nodded. "Mmm hmm. He gave me lots of special training because he's the dragon type gym leader in Unova. Not to mention the president of Opelucid Academy."

Dawn stretched. "Yeah I'm pretty sure I heard you mention that before. You went to school here when you were little, right?"

I nodded again, as usual having mixed feelings about the memory. "Yeah, sure did… Though it wasn't exactly a good thing..."

Dawn raised an eyebrow at me as we walked down the sidewalk. "Oh, how come, really bad school picture?"

I grinned a little. It was ancient history now, so it wasn't like I needed to get so caught up in it. "Let's just say I hardly fit in around here… And…" I scratched at the side of my face. "I got into a lot of trouble, even though I didn't mean to."

Dawn smiled. "Oh come, now you have to tell me more."

I rolled my eyes playfully at her. It was just like Dawn to never be able to resist a juicy story. So I stopped walking and pointed in in the distance, toward the center of town. "See that tower?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well when I got really homesick I used to climb to the top. The fresh air up there always reminded me of the village of dragons."

"Whoa, but that's so high!?" Dawn gasped looking almost as shocked as everyone else had back then.

I sighed. "Officer Jenny thought so too, and I got into a lot of trouble about it."

"So what did ya do then?"

I folded my arms behind my head as we started walking again. "Well...I'd sneak out of my dorm at night and climb it when no one would know." I sighed again. "Or at least I did before I decided to just run away back home in the first place."

Dawn grinned, almost not believing it. "Never saw you as the rebel type, Iris."

I shook my head. "Oh please, it wasn't like that. I just...didn't fit in with the other kids."

Dawn shrugged. "Hey you know what I think, not even the popular kids really fit in. I think it's mostly an act with a lot of people, ya know, to hid how out of place they really are."

I narrowed my eyes as I thought about what Dawn said."Yeah maybe…"

"Anyway," she added in as she rubbed at her temples with a smirk. "If my female intuition is right, which it usually is, then I'm thinking you've got a disappointed father complex with this Drayden guy, am I right?"

I sighed. "My relationship with Drayden is a little weird I guess. But mostly I think it was more me expecting too much out of myself, than him."

Dawn nodded. "Sounds about right. And hey, I get it. With my mom being a famous top coordinator I always had a lot of expectations about how good I'd turn out to be. I guess in the back of my mind I thought she might have been expecting certain things, when really it was just me." Then she elbowed me in the side. "Not that you have much to complain about. You're champion for crying out loud!"

"For now anyway…" I mumbled back.

But she just rolled her eyes at me. "Hey, quit thinking that was just a fluke, you worked super hard to win! What is it that Cilan would say?" She cleared her throat and tried to do her best connoisseur impression. "The exquisite taste of your style, combined with the nutty overtones of a perfect bond shared with your pokemon combine into the perfect recipe!"

I laughed, before rolling my eyes. "Yeah, Cilan has the _nutty_ part down alright."

Dawn grinned as she leaned into my shoulder. "About like Ash, I mean he's all... 'Let's train extra hard! Then we can reach our dreams no matter-oh hey is that a hamburger?!'"

We both laughed until our eyes watered, and I thought it was funny in more ways that one. Like maybe it was ironic… Ironic that just as I was stepping inside the gates of the academy, I was so happy.

Ironic that I felt anything but lonely. That I wasn't even thinking about the past anymore. The courtyard was pretty busy, students hanging around before their morning classes started. And as soon as we took a few steps inside all eyes landed on me and Dawn. When I'd went here before I was used to either sticking out as weird, or not being noticed at all, but this time was different.

Before I could even react I was swarmed by a mob of little kids screaming my name.

"Champion Iris!" said one.

"Is it really you?" asked another.

"Can you autograph my forehead!?" was the strangest request from a little boy with stars in his eyes.

"Uh…" was all I managed to say.

But Dawn got things back under control when she whistled into her fingers so loud it could have been a sonic attack.

A hush swept over the kids as they all glared at Dawn, probably wondering who she was.

"Sorry kids, but Champion Iris has some important business with your headmaster. But if you're real good, I bet she'll let you see her pokemon later. How does that sound?"

The kids looked between themselves, as if thinking it over, before they just ignored Dawn completely and swarmed back around me, almost trampling her.

I wasn't really sure what to do, because I was beginning to think I might end up having to call out Dragonite to pull me out of the mini crowd. But before I had to, we all heard a firm voice from across the yard.

"Children. I'd say the bell rung a full two minutes ago."

I looked up to see Drayden walking toward us. He wasn't even yelling, but his presence was just so powerful that every kid got the message super quick. It wasn't any time at all before it was just the three of us left standing around. I guess in a lot of ways I was still as intimnated as those little kids. But I was at least going to try my best.

"I'm worried about this next generation…" Dawn grumbled as she tried to straighten her trampled and twisted hair.

"You'll have to overlook them," Drayden said as he focused on me. "As far as they're concerned, you're the perfect example of what they're striving to become."

I wanted to sigh. It was a good thing they didn't know I dropped out, because I'm not sure if _that_ would be the perfect example... But then, if Elder was right, and following your own path was most important, then I guess I was at least an okay example of that.

"I was expecting you this morning, Iris. I'm pleased your journey was a safe one."

I nodded. "Yes sir, it was fine." Then I gestured toward Dawn.

"This is one of my good friends, Dawn, she offered to help us."

He nodded at her. "Well, we certainly will need as much help as possible. Why don't you both follow me into my office so I can bring you up to date?"

So we followed him through the familiar hall ways, and up the stairs, until we finally reached a door that read: "Headmaster Drayden."

Stepping inside he gestured for us to sit down, before he paced over to the window. A flock of pidove were flying by in the distance. He didn't say anything at first, then he slowly turned to look back over at us.

"I wish I had better news to report… But as I mentioned before, Zoroark's trail is running mostly cold by this point. With it's ability to take on nearly any form, I'm afraid it is very hard to track. Our only hope may be this Cole you spoke of, but I'm still not completely convinced he has Unova's best interest at heart."

I nodded. "Yeah I know, I'm not sure about him either… But I don't see how we have any other choice."

Drayden crossed his arms. "So when can we expect to meet with him?"

I sighed again. "If he has his way, never. He doesn't like us involved, he says it's too dangerous. But something tells me that if we start looking for Zoroark, he'll find us, he has every other time."

"Not the most reasussing plan…" Drayden said with a frown.

I crossed my arms too. "Yeah I know, but I don't know what else we can do. We can't give up trying to find Zoroark, Not when Rigford will be here soon, looking for him too, I bet."

"Agreed." Drayden added in with a nod. "I only wish we had more of an idea of where to focus our efforts. But the location of the scale chamber has been a guarded secret for centuries. In fact, I find it hard to imagine how this Zoroark can be so sure of its location."

I frowned, thinking hard. I was running back through everything Cole had said back in the cafe yesterday. He didn't say if Rigford knew the chamber location, but it only made sense that he didn't. Otherwise he would have just used his keys and taken the scales before Zoroark stole his prototype. Rigford had kept secrets from Cole before...that's what the deal was with the keys, but what if…? What if Cole had secrets too…? What if each one of them just had a piece of the puzzle? That would explain why they were after each other so much. So...if Rigford had the keys at first, than that must mean…

My eyes shot open wider. Than Cole, and by extension, Zoroark might have known the location of the chamber all along… It made sense. They both worked on the dig site where the artifacts were found, and they'd spent years researching this. It wouldn't be hard to believe that they found out more than their original mentor, David Zale. And if that was true...than was Cole really going to try and stop Zoroark, or was he just going to take the scales himself…?

Did he double cross us, and we were stupid enough to believe he wanted to help…?

I felt my fists clench as I hung my head.

"I think...it's already too late…"

"What are you talking about?" Dawn asked sounding surprised.

I looked up, and between them slowly, as I tried to decide how to word this. "Thinking back I...I think Cole and Zoroark knew the chamber location from the beginning, they just needed Rigford's keys. And now...they have them…"

Drayden took a step forward. "How can you be sure, Iris?"

I shook my head. "I can't but...it's just a feeling. A feeling like we've been double crossed, and almost like…"

I closed my eyes and tried not think, but just to feel. Feel the way I always did when I touched a dragon, and I seemed at one with their emotions. It was barely noticeable but... if I focused on the vague feeling almost beyond my grasp than… Than it felt like anger. But whose anger? If I could only sense the feelings of dragons than it had to be…

I opened my eyes as I felt my face almost going pale.

"It's Reshiram and Zekrom… They…"

"Yes, Iris…?" Drayden gently pressed, as he knelt down beside my chair.

I shook my head. "I don't know, it's so faint, but… If I followed my intuition I'd say they were upset about something.

"But about what…?" Dawn asked slowly seeming confused.

I bit my lip, as I tried to get the nerve to say what I was really thinking. What I was feeling...

"The scales are being disturbed… As in, right _now_."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen next. Was the world just going to end all of a sudden? No I didn't think it was going to work like that. But I guess what I wasn't expecting was for anyone else, other than maybe Elder, to feel it too.

But in spite of that, about five minutes later, a very short of breath and worried Cilan suddenly threw open Drayden's door.

"I-Iris!" He choked out between breaths, bent over with his hands on his knees. But then he stood up straight and stumbled into the room.

I was on my feet and to him before I could even think about, because from the look on his face… Yeah I already knew what was wrong.

"I had a strange dream, and then…" He frowned. "As silly as it may sound, upon awaking I was overcome with the idea that it might not have been a simple dream at all…"

"Do you feel anything?' I asked with a frown.

He hesitated before finally answering me. "I feel a great deal of unrest, with no justifiable cause."

I felt my jaw clench as I looked down. "But it is justifiable…"

"What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

I sighed. "Cilan, close your eyes."

He hesitated again, but then just did what I asked.

"If you just let everything else go and just focus on that feeling…" I gently put my hand just over his heart. "Right there...can you feel that?"

He opened his eyes slowly and looked down to meet my eyes. "Anger and...a great deal of pain… Yes."

I nodded. "I don't know why you can feel it too, but... those feelings belong to Reshiram and Zekrom. Something terrible has happen…"

He didn't say anything, because little by little I could see on his face that he was putting the pieces together for himself. Then finally, he frowned deeply as he reached to cup my hand tightly between both of his.

Outside the window a sudden roll of thunder almost shook the building, before a heavy downpour started out of what had been a blue sky less than half an hour ago.

What could anybody possibly _wish_ right then...

But I knew what I did. Because all I wanted, all I could ever want, was the people I loved to stay safe. So laying my other hand gently against his, I held on to that _wish_.

I held on until I knew I had the courage to make it a reality…

 **Hang tight for more coming soon! Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 (Iris' POV)

The rain didn't stop. No instead it only seemed to get harder, the lightning brighter, and the the thunder louder. But that wasn't the worse part… All around I could just feel that something was wrong. Whether it my connection to Reshiram and Zekrom, or just intuition I wasn't sure. But either way I knew we were too late to stop the scales from being disturbed. Part of me wanted to feel like a failure, but a bigger part of me knew I didn't have time to sit around feeling sorry for myself. No, not when all of Unova could be at stake.

The lights flickered, and then finally went off in one sudden blink. "Isn't this what the legend said would happen first, unstable weather?" I asked slowly without looking at Drayden who was standing silently next to me."

"Yes. Like a progressive illness, the health of Unova is steadily deteriorating. If the scales are not returned shortly then…" He closed his eyes, but didn't say anything. A streak of lightning reflected against the widow, almost causing our faces to glow.

Then he opened his eyes, almost like he'd decided something. "But the immediate concern is not Unova, but her people." He turned to me. "We have to do our part to insure the safety of the students and any others in town. If this rain continues I have no doubt flooding of the first floor will become an issue. It's only a matter of time."

"What should we do then?" I asked, feeling as desperate for any sort of direction as could be.

"Gather your friends and have them assist you is moving all students and pokemon to the highest floor." He reached to pull his coat from the rack in his office. "I'll go into town, well the roads are still of some use, and see that everyone is safe there."

I nodded. "Okay, you can count on us. But…" My face fell a little bit as he turned to leave. "Just be careful, Drayden…"

I saw the slight smile in his eyes before he disappeared down the hall. I stepped out afterward too and went to find everyone else. It was almost a little surprising just how relieved I felt when I ran into Cilan in the stairwell. He was carrying up a crate of bottled water. I knew he really didn't have the power to fix things anymore than I did, but I still felt safer knowing he was there. And I guess that showed on my face, because he slowly lowered the crate to the floor and turned to face me.

"Iris…" he whispered softly as his face twisted with worry. Yeah all the same worry that was making my stomach do flips…

"Oh hey…" was all I managed back.

He gestured for me to sit down on the stairs, and I guess I was surprised how easily my legs gave out as I did just that.

I buried my face into my knees. "The last thing I have time to do is sit around feeling sorry for myself…"

"That may be, but often it can be a help to take a few moments to gather your thoughts and feelings before taking on a large task."

"Yeah I guess so…" I mumbled barely looking up. "But... I can't help but feel like this is my fault. Or at least like I'm the one who is supposed to know what to do…"

"Iris…" He said softly. "I hardly think you're the one to blame, and no one else thinks that either. You are however, the person brave and resourceful enough to not give up even in the face of unfavorable odds. That much I have no doubt about…"

I slowly leaned back up as I turned to glance at him. He was smiling. It was that sort of smile that would have made you feel better even if he'd just been a kind stranger. But he wasn't a stranger…

So reaching to wrap my arms around his neck I pulled him into a hug, as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Cilan…" I whispered quietly, yet resolutely. "I really need your help…"

I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke softly. "Then of course I'll help in whatever way I can."

Whether the world was ending or not, I wished I could have just stayed like that forever. But as it was, I knew I had a lot to do. We all did. But before I could pull away I heard two sets of footsteps coming slowly. So pulling back enough to turn to see who it was, I saw Dawn and Ash walking toward us. They didn't really need to say anything, the look on their faces was enough. Enough to know that I was anything but alone in this…

"Mind if we get in on some of that?" Dawn asked with a weak smile, before she dropped to her knees and hugged me and Cilan as tight as she could. Next I felt Ash join in, and it made me want to cry. But it did more than that...it also made me feel strong, ready to take on whatever was coming next. So even though I would have liked to hold onto this moment forever, I was the one who slowly pulled away.

With a determined and hopeful look, I glanced between the three of them. "Drayden said we need to evacuate the lower levels of the school. If this rain keeps up we're going to have a real problem from flooding. We have to make sure those kids and pokemon are safe."

They all nodded before the four of us hurried down the stairs and started getting to work. We each took a classroom and started leading the students up to safety. After about half an hour almost everyone was accounted for. _Almost_ everyone. Looking over the student logs from Drayden's office meant one student, a little girl, was missing.

I frowned before I tossed down the paper and rushed back toward the stairs. I didn't have any time to waste. So when I reached the bottom floor I made the hard choice to ask Fraxure to split up so we could search faster. The last thing I wanted was for him to get lost too, especially since the water was already starting to pool in the hallways, but I had no choice.

"Be careful, and meet me back here at the stairs, unless you find her, then just make sure she gets to where it's safe. I'm counting on you, Fraxure." I said rubbing his snout.

"Ure!" He said with a determined nod before we went our separate ways.

I ran down the halls checking every room, but even with a flashlight everything seemed so dark. It was almost hard to believe it was still the middle of the day. I called her name, hoping for something, anything. But all I heard was nothing. The entire first floor had been searched and researched, which could only mean one thing. I swallowed hard as a scary thought crossed my mind. What if she wasn't even in her class this morning…? What if…?

I looked at the two main doors, as I felt a frown cut into my face. But I didn't hesitate, no instead I just flung the doors open and ran out into the storm. The wind was almost pushing me back with every step, and I was drenched in nothing flat, but it didn't matter. Because I had an idea, a hunch that I was just praying was right… So I slowly worked my way around the building, and to the training area. The field was already more than ankle deep with water, but I pushed on.

When I'd been a student here all those years ago, I had a secret spot. It was a little crevasse in the side of the hill next to the training area. I used to hide there when the pressures of school life got to be too much for me. Back then I used to think of it as my own special secret spot, but something told me someone could must have found it since then. Or at least I was hoping.

Hoping that this little girl was just like me…

So kneeling down by the little opening in the rocky hill, I shined my flashlight in and held my breath. What I saw both broke my heart, and made me breathe a sigh of relief. Huddled in muddy water was the little girl I was looking for. She was clinging to a tiny axew that must have been from the training center. And they both looked scared to death. In fact, their eyes were both closed so tight they didn't even know I was there until I reached in and pulled them both out.

She screamed and tried to wriggle free at first, but I just held onto her tighter. "Hey it's okay, I'm here to help!" I shouted above the sound of the heavy rain.

She frowned up at me as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Are we going to die?" She asked.

I frowned and shook my head. "Not a chance!"

I felt her little hand grip my shirt for dear life as I sprinted through the deepening water and back to the main doors. When we both made it back inside we were both muddy and soaking wet, but all that matter was that we were...okay.

Dropping to my knees to catch my breath I took a second to look her over. "You're not hurt are you?" I asked.

She shook her head before trying to wipe the tears she was still crying. But all she managed to do was leave a muddy streak across her face from her dirty sleeve.

"Ew ew!" The axew cried as he clung to the little girl even tighter.

I smiled down at them softly as I hugged them closer to me. "It's alright, you're safe now… So let's go get you both dried off, okay?"

The little girl hesitated, but finally nodded and seemed to calm now a little bit. In fact, once we had reached the top floor she was calm enough to finally recognize me. "Are you the champion…?" She mumbled into my shoulder, as I carried her up.

"Just call me Iris, okay?" I said, grinning at her.

"Iris!" I heard Cilan shout as soon as he saw me. And honestly, I didn't doubt that I looked like a wreck.

"I'm okay." I cut in before he could spiral. "One of the students was lost, but everything is okay now."

He hesitated, but then I saw him slowly relax his shoulders as he went back inside one of the classrooms. A second later he came out again carrying a few towels. I carefully lowered the little girl down to the floor, and Cilan knelt down in front of her with a comforting smile.

Draping one of the towels around her shoulders he patted her head. "Now, you should feel warmer in no time."

The little axew poked it's head out of the towel and blinked at Cilan, who just smiled again. "I bet you'd both like a taste snack, wouldn't you?"

The little girl just frowned as her eyes started to water again. She was so relieved to be safe that she leap forward and clung to Cilan's neck almost as tight as she could. He seemed surprised at first, but then he smiled softly as he looked up at me.

Now that the she was safe I remembered that Fraxure was still downstairs, probably looking for me. So turning on my heels I headed back down and called out his name. But at least this time he was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come on, everyone is safe now!" I said as I reached to grab his hand.

"Ure ure!" He seemed excited and relieved to see me, and I could really understand that. So we raced back upstairs, but met Cilan halfway in between.

He frowned. "Iris, I can only help if you let me…"

From the look on his face I almost felt like a little kid about to get scolded.

I sighed. "Sorry, I should have told you where I was going… But I was-"

He held up his hand to cut me off gently. "Now, now, I understand that the safety of the children is the first priority of us all. However," he reached to drape a towel around my dripping shoulders. "Your safety is also one of _my_ priorities. And I would certainly be negligent if I failed to worry about you." Then he sighed before grinning a little playfully. "Though it hardly ever does much good to stop you from putting yourself in danger."

I smiled a little as I let myself sink into the warmth from the towel. "Thanks, Cilan."

He smiled back slightly. "Now that everyone is safe, you should eat something too. Nothing can be accomplished on an empty stomach."

I honestly hadn't thought much about food, but now that he mentioned it, I was pretty hungry. In fact, I'd completely skipped breakfast without even realizing it. We didn't have any electricity for cooking, but Cilan had scavenged what he could from the kitchen before the water got too high on the first floor. And right now, a sandwich seemed like a four course meal as far as I was concerned.

And it did take my mind off the things for a little while, but as soon as Drayden stepped into the classroom we were sitting in, well it all came rushing back into my head. So much so in fact, that I stood expectantly.

He took off his dripping coat and ran his fingers through his wet hair, before turning to look at me. "Everyone is safe and accounted for in town. With the aid of the police force shelters have been set up all across Unova. So with things stable for now, I'd suggest we discuss what our next course of action will be."

"Of course." Cilan nodded as he stood up and walked over to me.

Stepping out into the hallway he motioned for the rest of us to follow, and I knew he didn't want the kids to hear whatever he had to say. "This stability won't last, however, we can be sure of than. Tremors are starting to be felt in select locations across Unova, and we have reason to believe they will only intensify. The two opposing lines of energy are rushing desperately for balance, and as such, the resulting spikes of power release are to blame for this destructive instability in weather."

"What can we do then?" I asked, more interested in solutions.

He narrowed his eyes. "Without knowing the chamber location, I'm not sure what we can do… But if anyone can offer some insight it would be your village Elder. I can't stress enough, how dangerous a journey it will be with conditions such as these, but I feel like it's necessary to seek her out."

I nodded. "I'll go, I can take Dragonite, it'll be quicker like that."

"Then he will have to take two." Cilan said stepping forward with a determined frown. Or maybe it was just stubborn, but either way I knew it was pointless to think he'd let me go alone.

"Or three." Dawn chimed in crossing her arms.

Ash nodded. "More like four."

I frowned as I looked back into the classroom full of scared students. Sighing I looked back up at Ash and Dawn. "Actually, I think you guys should stay here. I know you aren't worried about the danger, but these kids need someone to be here to help them in case it gets worse around here."

Dawn bit her lip before she nodded. "Yeah...okay that makes sense I guess…" Then she glanced at Ash. "Just leave it us, right Ash?"

"Yeah you bet!" He said with a grin, as he raised his hand for her to high five him.

She did just that, as she smiled softly at him. Then turning back to Cilan and me she nodded. "You guys just be careful too, okay?"

"Right, of course." I nodded, before she reached to hold my hands. Squeezing them tightly she gave me a look that only best friends could.

"I mean it, no heroics just because you two are supposed to be special big stuff."

I grinned as I squeezed right back. "I promise, Dawn."

I saw her narrow her eyes as she fought the tears that were suddenly welling up in them. So pretending I didn't notice, she cleared her throat and pulled away slowly.

"So what are you waiting for, get going you two?!"

I hesitated for just long enough to try and remember everything about how her face looked right then. To remind me of how much everyone cared about me. It was a picture I kept in my heart as Cilan and me braved the wind and rain on the roof of the building. I held on to it for dear life, almost as tightly as Cilan was holding on to me when Dragonite finally lifted off. The wind was blowing through our hair, threatening to take all us with it, but I just kept holding on. So leaning my forehead against Dragonite's back I just focused on his feelings. Yeah, the emotions I could feel as clearly as if they were my own.

Because he wasn't scared, he never was, no, he was just sure. Sure we'd make it through.

So I would be too…

It wasn't easy seeing my home in such bad shape. And I didn't just mean the village of dragons, no beascue these forests, they had always been just like home to me. But as far as you looked all you could see was water. I was worried about the pokemon who lived there but so far I hadn't seen anyone. Or at least until I heard a desperate call from a few deerling. They had their back against a rock face and nothing but rising water in front of them. I didn't hesitate, or even say anything for that matter. No, instead it felt like everything I was thinking went right out of my fingertips and into Dragonite's mind. Maybe it had…

He dropped lower, just skimming over the surface of the flood water, and I heard Cilan let out a little surprised yelp. "Just hang on!" I shouted at him without taking my eyes off the two deerling.

I knew we needed to time this just right, because the water was rising fast, and we only had one shot at this. But maybe Dragonite wasn't the only one who could read my mind, because just as I was about to tell him to, Cilan leaned out from Dragonite and reached for the first Deerling. I didn't need to guess that Cilan was just as afraid of heights now as ever, but he was brave enough not to mention it. The other deerling was up to me, so wrapping my legs around Dragonite's neck I swung over the side with both my arms free.

We'd practiced this kind of thing with flying low to pick fruit out of trees, so in concept it should have been pretty easy, but this was a lot more than practice so… But in less than ten second I'd grabbed it and was sitting back straight. This time Cilan did speak up though.

"Did you have to do it that way?!" He asked, trying to speak up over the pouring rain.

I just smiled a little when I glanced him over my shoulder, before hugging the shivering pokemon closer to me. With no dry land in sight I figured they'd be coming with us for now. The closer we got to the village the more afraid I felt. I knew it must have been flooded too, and none of the buildings were tall there. I felt a knot in my stomach, it was for Shannon and everyone else. It was worry, but it was guilt too, that I hadn't stopped this when they were counting on me. But I didn't have time to think like that now, so I just focused on getting there as fast as I could. And when we did only the windows and tops of some of the buildings were visible.

But enough of the Reshiram and Zekrom sutures were visible, so I knew it was home. I felt Cilan's hand on my shoulder, and I really needed it right then. Because I felt so much hurt, but also so angry. No one did this to my home and got away with it. So swallowing the lump I felt in my throat, I Iet the tears stream down my face, knowing in this rain no one would even know the difference. But even so I wasn't just going to sit there and cry, no I needed to find Elder and Shannon. No one was around at the village, so I knew they must have evacuated earlier. I wasn't sure, but I had an idea where they were. I knew there were caves at the top of some mountains nearby the village. The a lower cave was where'd I'd found that dragon scale, but I knew the higher ones would still be much higher than the water.

So wordlessly guiding Dragonite we made a sharp turn and headed for where I hoped they were. Where I was praying they were… And thankfully I felt a wave of relief when I saw the flicker of firelight coming from inside the cave. So landing Dragonite on the edge we carefully got off with the deerling and stepped inside. Going deeper inside we came to a large cavern with a fire burning in the center. Yeah, the center of my people.

"Iris…?"

Pushing through the crowd first was Shannon, and I felt so relieved I was almost weak when I saw her.

"Shannon!" I shouted as I leaped into her arms and held her as tightly as I could.

"Oh Iris, I'm so thankful you're safe!" She trembled as she held me right back.

But then pulling away I frowned. "Are you alright, what about Jake and the baby?"

Right as I asked though, Jake stepped out of the crowd with little Iris wrapped in a blanket in his arms. "More than a little shook up, but okay all the same."

I sighed as I tried to get my composure back, now that I knew everyone was safe. Then glancing at Shannon again I frowned. Since I'd hugged her she was almost as wet as I was…

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't-"

But she cut me off with a genuine smile before she reached to hug me again. This time I didn't fight it even if we both ended up soaked and muddy because of it.

"Iris? Oh thank goodness…" I heard Elder say, so I let go of Shannon and turned toward her.

"Elder…" Was all I could manage to say though, because now, being face to face with her, just made me feel so responsible, like I'd let her down…

"E-Elder _I_ couldn't stop them…" I mumbled out, even though my voice was trembling.

Elder frowned at me firmly. "Now is most certainly not the time for words such as _I_. Now more than ever is a time for _we_." Her face softened a little. "You are no more to blame than the rest of Unova, dear. But unlike the rest of us, you may be the one to help…"

"How!?" I asked desperately as I balled my fists.

But she didn't answer me, instead she gestured to a few of her attendants, and they brought us two stacks of fresh clothes. "You will catch your death is you remain in those wet things. Please change first."

I hated waiting, but I knew she was right. So I took the time to change, and when I came back I saw that Cilan had too. He looked funny in our native robes, but I was glad for something to make me smile, even if it was just a little.

Elder gestured us toward a seat by the fire, and it wasn't until then that I realized just how cold I was. So holding my hands out to the fire I let myself come down from the adrenaline rush I'd been on all day. Then I remembered Fraxure in his pokeball and I called him out to sit next to me and Cilan.

"What can we do to help, ma'am?" Cilan asked, speaking up for the both of us.

Elder stepped closer and put a hand on each of our shoulders. "As we know, the scales of Reshiram and Zekrom have been stolen. The energy beneath Unova is now divided, and the natural urge for balance is causing a great release of force as the two rush together. Which explains the dreadful weather we're seeing now… And I fear it will only worsen until all of Unova is devastated by it. And…" Her face got an even more worried look. "And I also fear the rage of Reshiram and Zekrom could bring great destruction itself…"

"We could feel it too…" I whispered, with a frown. "Cilan and me I mean."

Elder looked almost shocked a at first as she glanced at Cilan, before a smile appeared on her face instead. "What a powerful connection…" he whispered before looking back over at me.

"That is very closely related to how you two will be able to help, dear."

"We'll do whatever we can, Elder!" I said with a determined nod.

"I've already told you of the nature of the energy you two have. Though not as strong as the balancing force of the scales themselves, I believe your spirits could give us some much needed time."

"Our spirits?" I asked.

"Yes dear, the force of energy within each of us. I believe the singular nature of the two of you could create some sort of surrogate balance."

"I'm not sure I understand?" Cilan said slowly.

So Elder went on. "If the two of you were to stand in for the scales in the chamber, I feel we may be able to slow the deterioration of Unova. If, even to a smaller degree, the presence of that balance was felt..."

Cilan's rubbed at his chin. "I see...but without knowing where the chamber location is-"

"I think I can help with that…" We turned to see Cole stepping out of the crowd, his Zoroark following him.

"You!" I screamed as I jumped to my feet and ran over to him, balling my fists. "You betrayed us!"

He frowned, but before he could say anything, Elder spoke up. "Iris, I think you should believe this man, he told us the location of the scale chamber…"

"What…but…" I mumbled out as I looked back at him with nothing but confusion on my face.

He sighed. "I don't blame you for not trusting me, but I didn't lie to you. I was going to stop Zoroark. And I did arrive in time to stop him from disturbing the scales, but I was foolish enough to underestimate Richard…" He looked almost hurt as he trailed off.

"What happened Cole…?" I asked softly.

He looked back up at me with a serious look on his face. "I was followed, and one the chamber, overtaken by Rigford and his men. Taking back the keys, and now with the chamber location I'd kept secret from him, nothing was standing in his way. I have an idea where I might be able to find him now, to find him and the scales, but I need time. Time I fear we don't have if things keep up the way they're going. I don't know much about energies inside of you, but then I didn't think this would ever happen either… All I know is, if you two kids really can stall this thing out, than it would be our best shot at this."

The truth was I wanted to go with Cole and track down Rigford, not sit with Cilan in some cave underground. But it didn't look like I had much choice… Maybe this was my path...

"Then why are we just standing around?" I said crossing my arms. So we followed Elder directions and then held onto Cole and his Abra as he teleported us to who knows where. After we appeared from the swirl of light I saw that we were standing at the opening of another cave.

"So where is this?" I asked Cole, wondering if he still wasn't telling anybody where the chamber was. He hesitated before sighing. "I guarded this secret for more than a decade... But…" He went on before he pulled a map device out of coat pocket and flipped open the screen. "See for yourself."

My eyes got wide, and I could hardly believe it. "This is less than an hour from the village of dragons! I played around here once as a kid!"

He smiled a little. "Well, maybe this is your path then... Now follow me." So we did as he lead us deeper into the cave. He took twists and turns until I thought we might have been in a maze. Then to my surprise we came to a large door with really old looking carvings on it. I wasn't sure, but I thought I could see the indentations where the two key discs must have went. But the door wasn't locked now, no it was wide open. So we just stepped in a followed Cole down an old stone staircase. It wound down until I thought we might have been nearing the center of the planet. Or at least it felt like it. Like it was going on forever.

But then, in the distance I started to see some kind of glow. It was blue and red and the closer we got, the brighter it seemed.

"Just up ahead…" Cole whispered as we took the last step and followed him down a narrow path toward the lights. I felt my heart in my throat the closer we got. Was this really the legendary scale chamber, and was I really able to something with it?

None of it really made sense to me, and I guessed Cilan was even more confused, but he hadn't said anything at least. Though neither had I, but I was thinking plenty. But I also knew that doubting myself, doubting Cilan and me wasn't going to help anything. Now was just the time to be strong and try our best. Not that I knew what I was supposed to do…

"Here we are…" Cole whispered slowly as he gestured toward a large doorway up ahead. I could see the glow from lights against the walls, but nothing else until I turned the corner. But when I did…

The cavern was huge, bigger than the one that fit everyone from the village of dragons inside. I wanted to look up and all around, but I was too busy looking straight ahead instead. Because it looked like a gash was open in the world and you got to see what was inside. Blue and red lights were arching out of it, and sparking in the air when they touched. All you could heard was the crackling and the unrest was almost something you could feel against your skin.

I was about to take a step in when Cole stopped me. "I don't know what makes you different, but when I walked in there after the scales were removed I almost didn't make it back out alive…"

I swallowed hard, before nodding at him. "I trust elder though, so it'll be fine…"

"You have guts at least…" He said as he stepped back to a safe distance and folded his arms.

I took one slow step inside, but quickly found out it was a bad idea. The blue light intensified and the sparks got bigger and louder. Cilan reached out and jerked me back, and then things went back to normal. Or at least as normal as this could be considered…

"If we go in alone we'll just aggravate the imbalance in the charge further." Cilan said thoughtfully. Then he reached for my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. "But if we go in together…"

I realized right then that it wasn't just about trusting Elder… No, it had a lot to do with trusting Cilan too. But not just here and now, but for the rest of my life, because wasn't that what all this meant? What it stood for…?

So even though I felt a little bit of silly embarrassment still nagging at me, I just let myself take his hand. Then step by tiny step we went inside. I was wincing, waiting for who knows what to happen, but instead of things getting worse…

The lights slowly blended into a mix of purple and the sparks started to disappear one at a time. The closer we got to the opening in the ground, the more things seemed to calm down. So once we'd gotten just about as close as we could, Cilan looked over at me and smiled softly. But I was mostly too shocked to say or do anything. I guess Cole felt the same way, because he just shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't understand who or what you two are, but I'm grateful for the time this will give us all the same. I'll be back, but this time I'll be dragging Rigford behind me kicking and screaming."

I grinned a little before nodding at him. "Be careful and do your best, we'll be here!"

He nodded back before reaching out to touch his abra and disappearing into another swirl of light.

Which meant...we were alone in the weirdest circumstances I could possibly imagine. So slowly I sunk down to the ground, and tugged on his hand to do the same. I figured we'd be here a while so there was no use standing the whole time. The lights didn't seem to mind either way, but my legs did. Now that I had time to think about it, I realized just how exhausted I really was. But that wasn't even the half of it, mostly I was worried. Worried about Unova, Dawn, Ash, Shannon and even in a weird way Cole. Could we really find a way out of this mess…? It felt just like a tangled maze, and I just _wished_ I could have went back in time and stopped it all from happening…

But…

"Sometimes going forward can be even better, Iris…" He whispered softly.

I snapped my head up to look at him. "You can read my mind now?"

He tugged at the collar of his robe a little awkwardly. "Not completely, but the uniqueness of these circumstances seem to be having unusual effects. Don't...you feel that…?" He asked even more awkwardly.

I closed my eyes and tried not to be so distracted by my own feelings. And when I did I could feel a stream of different emotions come rushing on all sides. It reminded me instantly of how it was with me and dragons, except…Cilan wasn't a dragon.

I bit my lip before I pulled my knees up and rested my chin on them. "Well…"I said slowly. "At least I'm not the only one embarrassed about all this…"

If both our faces hadn't been tinted purple from the light, I figured they'd have been red.

"I suppose I'm not used to my feelings for you getting so much attention in the first place…" He mumbled shyly. "And now I'm afraid it would be impossible to hide anything I'm feeling…"

I smiled just a little. "Well, hiding isn't so great anyway so…" I held onto my knees a little tighter, but still looked up at him. "So I guess this forces us to be open?"

He grinned weakly before he nodded. "I suppose so."

But I still got where he was coming from, it wasn't like we were really used to being honest with our feelings, and now…

Now it felt like I was reading his secret journal right in front of him. And even if he said it was okay, I still would have just stopped feeling those things if I could have. But as it was, our emotions, even some thoughts, were connected in this place. So I decided to just make the best of it, and try and ignore those feelings. It just didn't seem right for him to be forced to share things with me, if he wasn't ready to. But...then one of those feelings caught me off guard and my mouth was open before my head could stop and think.

"You're worried you're gonna bore me?"

He flinched. But now that I was making him focus on it, the emotions got even stronger, and I started to notice the different aspects to them.

"Well I do have some concern…" he mumbled out.

I smiled at him. "That feels like a lot more than _some_ concern, Cilan."

He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well...you did seem to feel that way before… I can feel that too you know…"

I frowned suddenly and looked to the side. "You mean about all your connoisseur and detective stuff…?"

He just nodded, and even though he kept his face calm, I could feel a sudden sense of hurt. He darted his eyes away, but I didn't let him drop it.

"Cilan, what was-wait…" I frowned. "You think I don't take you seriously?" I searched for the right word as more of his feelings came in. "Respect you…? You're worried I don't…" I whispered like I was just trying to translate what all those feelings were saying.

"Now you're very upset…" He added in.

I bit my lip. "You bet I am, Cilan… I…" I frowned as so much washed over me. But it all seemed a little overwhelming, so I just sighed and tried to get it back together. "I just thought we were having fun kidding around back then...you know? But why didn't you tell me I was really hurting your feelings?"

Then I shook my head. "No that was my fault too… Why wasn't I smart enough to figure that much out for myself?"

"Iris…" he whispered softly, but I cut him off.

"No, I'm sorry! I really am, Cilan!"

He smiled softly. "I appreciate your apology, but I always knew your intentions were hardly malicious. But even so, it would seem we all have certain emotional sensitivities."

"Yeah and I made yours worse…" I mumbled looking off to the side.

"And I aggravated yours as well, because now you're blaming yourself." He said simply, pointing out how I was spiraling.

And I could see what he meant, so I took a deep breath and looked back over at him. "I don't really think you're a little kid, Cilan, and mostly-" But I stopped when I saw the look on his face, and felt the feeling he just had.

He smiled at me softly. "You feel safe with me, Iris?"

For a second I just blinked at him. I thought I'd mentioned that before, but I guess words vs actually getting to feel it for yourself, made a big difference.

"Of course…" I whispered slowly.

The smile on his face just seemed to deepen, and so did the happiness I could feel from him. Almost like it was more than that, like it was proof I'd accepted him or something. I wasn't really sure why it meant so much or him, or why it seemed like a revelation, maybe it was a guy thing, or just a Cilan thing, but either way…

Well I was just glad it had made him happy. That I had made him happy…

And when those two feelings met, it seemed like even the air around us changed. Like it was cooler and fresher than it had been. Like the world was just a little more alive for having us, not just be, but be _together_ in it.

"I love you, and I respect you, Cilan." I whispered softly. "How could it be any other way?"

He nodded slowly, and looked like he was about to say something, but this time, _I_ didn't give him the chance. Because I leaned to kiss him just long enough to go over in my mind all those memories we had. To put them together into one single sparkling memory, one emotion that I could send him.

Of laughing, and teasing. Of that time I'd set his apron on fire by mistake, and he'd tried not to be mad. Yeah, but I knew he was, or at least until I did my best to sew him a new one. It was three sizes too small, but I felt so relieved when he finally laughed at it. When he laughed at me, because then I knew he'd forgiven me. And of that night with Ash, during our journey when I tried to ask him what pokemon he thought a certain group of stars looked like. But he just couldn't see it no matter how he turned his head.

Because you see... all those memories, even the bad ones. They were just _wishes…_

The wishes of the past, wishing for a future so bright that some of that light could even touch today…That they could make today a little easier to take… Because wishes weren't just wishes. They were hopes, and hope was just another word for a promise that would last forever.

So even though I knew this moment wouldn't last forever, what I _wished_ for would…

 **More on the way!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 (Iris' POV)

I wasn't sure how long we sat down there in the scale chamber, Cilan and me. But I knew it must have been getting later because my eyes were starting to get heavy. I thought I should have been worried about what was going on outside, but being in this place...with him, well it just made me feel at peace. Like the quiet was the same all over the world, like that calm was what everyone else was feeling too. I knew that was anything but true, but at least for the moment, I was glad to not feel so overwhelmed with worry for once.

But no matter what was happening my stomach had a way of not letting me forget about it. And I'm pretty sure the growl almost echoed in the caven. I patted my stomach and and looked over at Cilan with a blush.

"I guess my stomach didn't get the message that this wasn't the best time to be hungry?"

He smiled. "A well balanced snack is always a necessity. And I believe I have just the thing." Reaching for his backpack he rummaged around in it until he pulled out two apples.

"Here you are," he grinned politely as he handed it to me.

"Thanks!" I beamed as I polished it on my sleeve before I took a big bite. And I was about to take another one when I saw him staring at me. Hesitating I looked over at him, and normally would have asked what was up, except... well around here I already knew.

I smirked at him playfully. "So you think _I_ look like the little kid?"

He grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "In the best kind of way I can assure you. It's just…" His face softened as he looked down. "I always admired the wholehearted way you approach everything in life. That earnest and zest has a truly inspiring flavor as far as I'm concerned."

I felt my smile soften before I sighed a little, and smirked again. "Thanks Cilan, but…" I playfully elbowed him in the side. "With the levels of sap we've reached down here, I'm just glad Ash and Dawn weren't around to hear it."

He laughed before smiling a little more softly. "Even so, this opportunity to be so open with you will always be one that I treasure."

I reached to squeeze his hand as I grinned at him and spoke gently. "There you go again, being sappy…"

He smiled back. "I can't say I mind that, Iris."

For that moment, with nothing else in my head but the image of his green eyes, I thought I finally got what Elder had meant. All that talk about halves creating wholes, and duality. It was amazing wasn't it? Amazing how being with the right person could make everything else seem right too. So much so, that I almost felt like a new me, a better me, maybe even the me I was supposed to be all along.

We finished eating without saying much else, but afterward we got into a conversation about how he'd finally gotten his S class connoisseur ranking. He'd told me the story before, but I'd never heard it when I could actually _feel_ how nervous he was. So that made me think about how even old stories we'd both heard before would seem new to each other down here. So I told him about when I became champion, and how the award ceremony was worse than the battle. So little by little, it felt like we were getting to know parts of each other that not even years of friendship had shown.

And after a while, it got sort of hard to even tell where my emotions ended and his began. It was like they both just blended together until it was just one thing. If it would have been up to me, if the world wouldn't have been at stake, I would have been perfectly fine staying there and just talking to him for about another thousand years or so. But things weren't all wrapped up just yet. The scales still needed to be returned, and I guess I was just hoping Cole would reappear with them any time. But instead we got a sudden wake up call that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The lights that had been a soft purple, and the sparks that had been mostly calm, suddenly started to pop and hiss. Then the colors separated back into the red and blue again. Hopping to our feet I looked over at Cilan.

"What's wrong with it?!"

He frowned. "I don't know, but Elder did say this was only supposed to buy us a limited amount of time."

But then it hit me, an emotion that wasn't mine or Cilan's. No, instead it had to be Reshiram and Zekrom…

On instinct I raced out of the chamber and back up the stairs the way we had come.

"Iris, please wait for me!" He shouted after me.

I glanced back at him. "Hurry up Cilan, I think I know what's going on!"

He did his best to keep up, but I was still the first one to reach the entrance to the cave. It had been so peaceful down there it almost seemed shocking to see the storm still raging now. But more important than that were the two shadows that passed by overhead. Looking up I just did catch a glimpse of Reshiram and Zekrom flying by.

Then went by so fast though, they were disappearing into the distance before I could say or do anything. But even so, I already knew what they were after.

"They're headed to Opelucid city!" I shouted as I spun around to look at Cilan.

He huffed for breath before wiping his brow and frowning. "But Iris, how can you be sure?"

I nodded with a determined look. "They may be legendaries, but they're still dragons. And I know dragons better than anything else, Cilan."

"What should we do then?" He asked.

I just smiled and grabbed his hand before calling out Dragonite. "We follow them of course!"

Before he could argue I pulled him back into the pouring rain and onto Dragonite's back. I knew I should have been worried...but… But then who said I should have been? Instead I felt completely alive. Because for once I didn't have any doubt I was doing exactly what I was meant to. What I needed to all along.

"Hold on Cilan!" I shouted as I leaned into Dragonite and we shot straight up. We didn't stop until we were above the rainclouds. Then gathering our sense of direction I closed my eyes and held tightly to Dragonite, yeah held on until our feelings were one. So I felt it, felt everything. And right then I knew, I finally understood just what it was like to be a dragon. To be that brave and that free. So with the wind rushing through my hair we dove down as fast as we could.

I didn't need to be connected to Cilan's emotions to know that he was probably freaking out. But he was brave enough, or maybe just shocked speechless enough, not to complain. I hated to scare him, but we really were in a hurry.

Unova was going by us in a blur, and if we didn't get there in time it would probably be going up in smoke next. Reshiram and Zekrom were angry. Really angry, and I knew just who with. With the crook who'd taken the scales. And something told me they knew just where to find him too. Or at least where to find the scales and Slick by extension. It seemed pretty clear that he'd ran to Opelucid city since it was nearby. If I had to guess, I'd say he'd gotten more than he'd bargained for, and was now stuck in some police shelter scared senseless.

I couldn't say the thought of that _didn't_ make me smile. But I knew that if we didn't stop them, Reshiram and Zekrom might just fry him crispy for what he'd done. And not even a jerk like Slick deserved that...I guess.

Sure enough, as soon as we got into town I could see the fire and lightning from the major dragon rage going on. But the thing was, they were too upset to realize that it wasn't just Rigford that was going to get hurt, but a lot of innocent people.

Maybe it was crazy of me but…

I flew in as close to them as I could get.

"Hey, calm down, won't you! I know you want the scales back, but hurting innocent people isn't the way to do it!" I shouted at them.

But they didn't even hesitate. They just roared at me so loud that it even pushed stubborn Dragonite back. Then they started to fire at one of the buildings. But I knew there were people in there. Rigford too I guess but…

"Iris, they can't be reasoned with!" Cilan shouted over the noise.

I knew he meant well, but this was one thing he had wrong. Everything I'd ever seen or felt inside a dragon's heart told me that. So turning around to face him I cupped his hands in mine. In his eyes was so much worry, so much worry for me. And I knew it was just because he loved me. That's why I reached to hug him as tightly as I could, yeah but I pulled back almost as quickly. Because this time my path was calling me, and I had to answer.

"Cilan…" I mumbled before my tone got stronger and I looked in his eyes.

" _There are no bad dragons."_

It was the last thing I said before I jumped backward off of Dragonite and down, headfirst, into the flood water below me.

"Iris!" I heard him shout behind me, and I almost smiled. Not because I was breaking his heart, because I knew I was, but because I meant enough to him for that to even be possible. I hit the water hard, but no worse than I expected. Getting my bearings and thrashing to the surface I finally broke it and gasped for air. My arms were killing me arealy they were so sore, but that didn't stop me. No not a chance!

So I swam as fast and hard as I could toward the building under attack. Once there I managed to climb into a window, but already there was smoke almost everywhere. I thought I was here for a rescue mission, but instead I felt hands grab me suddenly and tug me toward another room. Now with some of the smoke clear, I blinked and saw that it was Officer Jenny that had pulled me to safety.

"We have to evacuate to the adjacent building, this one is too badly damaged!"

"Is everyone out?!" I asked looking back toward the smoky room behind us.

She nodded. "Yes they're being moved now."

I frowned. That was both good and bad news. Because it meant Slick would be moved with them. And wherever Slick went, the scales, and a very angry Reshiram and Zekrom would follow. I had to get to him and get those scales back. So I followed Jenny over the connecting walkway that led to the next building. Reshiram and Zekrom were still raging overhead and I didn't see any sign of Cilan or Dragonite. But I didn't even have time to worry. No, because when we got to where the other refugees were huddled together, Cole and Rigford were in the first group my eyes landed on.

"What are you doing here?" Cole asked with a frown.

"Do you have them?!" I shouted ignoring that question, and the cowering wreck that was Slick next to him.

"Yes, but I hardly think that will help much now. The rage of those two pokemon seems unquenchable!"

"Can't you just teleport back to the chamber and put the scales back?!" I shouted not wanting to accept excuses.

"My abra is busy teleporting people away from this building before it collapses on their heads!" He shot back. "What good will it do to save Unova if we lose her innocent people in the process?!"

I balled my fists. "Than give them to me!"

"That's a suicide mission, they'll think you stole them!" Cole shouted back at me.

"I don't care, this is my duty! My path!"

I could see the hesitation on his face while he considered what I'd said. Finally after what felt like forever he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two glowing objects.

"You are a brave, but equally foolish soul, Iris..." he whispered with a frown.

I took the two scales from him and buried them deep in the folds of my robe. Then I looked back up at him. "I'm not gonna die but… If something happens then could you tell Cilan something for me… That I…"

"My words would be meaningless to him under those circumstances…"

I nodded as I felt tears I didn't have time for, well up in my eyes. "Yeah I guess…" I bit my lip and took a step backward and tried to smile at Cole. "So I'll just have to make it through and tell him myself, huh?"

"Iris wait, this is foolhardy!" He shouted after me, but it didn't matter because I was already gone.

Gone and diving through the first open window I came to. Because I already knew what I had to do. I swam to the one place that made me feel home here. The one place I seemed to fit in… Grabbing on to the cold metal of Opelucid tower I pulled myself out of the water, and did my best not to slip on the wet grip. The rain was still pounding, and the roars of the angry legendaries were echoing so loud that I almost felt the tower shake. But it didn't matter… No, because this was it. This was where my path had led me.

So as I used all my strength to climb up I thought about a lot of things… About Shannon and her family, about Ash and Dawn, and of course about Cilan. And it made me think mostly about the last few weeks. About how much had changed so quickly. Even though things had happened in a way that I never thought they would, it had really turned out to be the best thing ever.

So when I finally reached the top of the tower, and lightning was flashing in the background, all I was thinking was how glad I was… How glad I was that I'd gotten to meet him, to tell him…

To be the one person that he loved.

So reaching to pull out both scales I thought about just what they stood for. And I felt really grateful… Thankful that no matter what happened now, well it wouldn't change the past few weeks any. Because as much as I didn't want to admit it before, getting to solve this case with him had been so much fun...

I held the two glowing scales out, one in each hand.

It was only a second or two before Reshiram and Zekrom stopped terrorizing the building and sensed that the scales were gone. Yeah and now they were headed toward me. But I was ready… Because there weren't any bad dragons… Not ever.

There were scared dragons, misunderstood and angry dragons, even ones that have been used by selfish people, but no bad ones. I knew that, and I trusted it. But...most of all I just _wished_ I hadn't been alone, because brave or not, I was really scared right then...

Maybe it was the wind and rain that made me not hear it when Dragonite appeared next to the tower. Or maybe I was just too focused on my fear and duty to notice anything else. But either way...all I felt were his arms around me as he pulled me closer. And then I knew…

Knew it would be okay because I wasn't alone.

"Cilan…?" I whispered as I looked up at him.

He smiled down at me, and even for all the worry, I could see mostly the...the love he had for me.

"To face this danger alone would certainly be untasteful…" he whispered softly.

Then he reached to take one of the scales from me and hold it out in his hand. "But to face it with your best friend," his eyes crinkled with the same simple joy he always had when he was cooking or doing anything else to annoy me.

"That seems like a winning recipe..."

Maybe I thought it was a little strange, that what he said felt so right. Yeah even though we could have been staring down our deaths and he was still talking about cooking. But I knew...I knew Cilan was always going to be Cilan, and that...was what I liked best about him anyway…

So with the wind blowing our hair and the rain still soaking us, I just held out my scale, as I leaned into his shoulder.

Because there weren't any bad dragons, or any dead ends. There was always a happier day waiting behind all the sad ones. And always so much more love than hate in the world. So it was okay… It was okay…

Reshiram and Zekrom came closer until they were so close I could have reached out and touched them. They roared and I felt my whole body cringe. But then they hesitated as they hovered there, staring at us.

So slowly letting go of Cilan I took a little step forward.

"I know you're angry…" I whispered to them both softly. "But anger doesn't solve anything… The more you hold onto it...the more you can lose who you really are inside… Don't you see…?" I gently mumbled, as I laid the scale at my feet and reached out to them.

"Don't you see, how being angry can hurt…?"

I felt all their anger as clearly as if it were my own, but I knew that wasn't who they really were… So trusting the goodness of their real hearts, I reached out to lay a hand on each of their heads.

Only this time I wasn't just wanting to sense more of their emotions, no I wanted to share mine with them instead. So I started at the beginning. With a lonely little girl who didn't fit in so well, but who little by little found her way.

Found the friends that really cared about her… The girl who was so different that she was loved because of it. So that in the end, what she thought stopped her from fitting in, actually is what drew her to the people that would love her one day…

To the people who would be her family…

"Isn't love so much better…?"

Like a light slowly dimming, I could feel their emotions calm until I felt tears streaming down my face. They were tears of relief I guess, relief because now the future that moments ago I thought I might not live to see, was standing right in front of me. Was waiting for me to run out and meet…

Cilan took a hesitant step forward and slowly laid his hands on them too. I turned my head and smiled at him, and he just smiled back. If there was one thing I still wanted to say to Cilan, I thought I just had. Wordlessly, but clearer than ever.

But what happened next, not even I was expecting… They lowered their heads and motioned for Cilan and me to each get on.

Cilan's eyes got wide, but then he seemed to understand. "I think they want us to be the ones to set things right…"

Picking up my scale again I slowly reached to climb on Reshiram's back. "Then let's go… I'm ready!"

It was so dark now… But in spite of the rain, I knew there must have been stars up there, just waiting to be seen when everything cleared up. That's what I was thinking as we flew back to the scale chamber. That and...well there was one more thing I was wishing, but I'll let you know about that one later…

For now all that mattered was that everything really was going to be okay.

When we got back to the cave entrance Reshiram and Zekrom landed so we could hop off their backs. Then they just stared at us patiently, but also expectantly.

"Leave it to us." I said as I clutched my scale tighter against my chest.

Walking back down that winding staircase I thought about how everything had turned out. In the end, Rigford was just a small piece of something much too big for him. His motives were simple and selfish. Cole and Zoroark on the other hand had good intention, but had make mistakes that endangered everyone too. And Cilan and me…

People would probably think we were heroes, but I knew better. We were just trying our best, yeah our best to learn everything this trial had to teach us. And in the process we'd discovered the greatest thing of all…

It was something we should have realized a lot earlier but… But I still really liked this timing just how it was. Because I thought things had turned out just how they needed to, and maybe there was a reason for that…

This time when we walked inside the chamber the lights responded like never before. The hissing sparks went totally silent and the purple light from before was glowing three times as bright as when it was just me and Cilan.

So when we both walked over to place the scales, one on top the other, I had a funny feelings. I feeling that something had just ended, and something else was just beginning. We should have been really eager to see if the rain stopped I guess, but we just stood there instead.

Stood there looking at the two scales now holding our world together again. And just like before, his emotions were as plain as if they were my own here.

So when I looked over at him we didn't need to explain what we meant. What we were feeling…because it was all already there.

Cilan slowly knelt down as he looked over at the scales and the light they were radiating.

Dropping to my knees I did the same.

"Iris…" he started to say. "When I think about everything we still have to learn, I can't help but feel like a small child too… Though…" then he smiled softly. "I'd say we've already learned the greatest lesson these scales could teach us…"

I grinned a little. "Would it have something to do with whatever else sappy you're about to say?"

He chuckled to himself, before he leaned to kiss me. And so I took that as a _yes._

When we left the chamber I couldn't help but look back at it for a second. If just to remember all that had happened here. When we made it back outside Reshiram and Zekrom were gone, almost like they'd never been there is the first place. But I knew they had, I'd never forget that they had…

The rain had already stopped, and the sky had cleared enough to see the first few stars out tonight. I wasn't even sure where to go first, or what to do, but I figured we should head back to Opelucid city to check in with everyone else. I knew Dawn would be waiting with a crushing hug, and I'd be more than glad to see Officer Jenny bringing Slick to justice.

Mostly I knew we needed to get the key discs back so we could lock the chamber again. And there would be so much work to do to repair things. But I tried not to think about it all right then. No instead I just wanted to enjoy this more peaceful ride back on Dragonite.

So Cilan and I hardly said anything the whole time. I knew we didn't have to...

Opelucid city looked so different when we made it back. Or maybe it was just the way I was seeing it that had changed… The truth was, how could I ever forget everything that happened here now? If that girl I had been could only have known…

The first thing we needed to do was see Cole. And it wasn't hard to figure out where most everyone was. There were groups of people still stranded on roofs, in fact it seemed like everyone in the city had taken to the roof. Not that there weren't some lower floors still above the water but… When we flew by they cheered, and it made me think they had came out just so they could see us when we came back.

" _Champion Iris!"_ I heard one group shout happily.

I guess I still wasn't used to all this attention, so believe it or not I blushed a little as I waved back.

" _You saved us!"_ Another added in.

I heard Cilan chuckle behind me. "It is true you know."

I sighed before grinning a little. " _We_ saved them."

"We saved Unova." he whispered back. "And yet…" I glanced over my shoulder and could see his eyes crinkle with happiness. "I still feel like perhaps Unova also saved us."

Turning back around I gently ran my hand against the tough skin of Dragonite.

"Yeah…" I mumbled. "Seems like it…"

It was so late and dark now, but even so I could see the flashlights waving like torches all over the roofs of the city. Everyone was celebrating. We really had done it. Maybe if I would have had time I would have just broke down and cried from the relief of it all. But I decided to save that for later, because I saw the academy below us, and a very special welcome party.

Without even having to tell Dragonite, he lowered onto the roof and I jumped off and into Dawn's arms.

"Iris!" She shouted as she spun around with me. "You're okay!?" She pulled back and looked me over. "You are okay right?"

I nodded. "Sure am!"

Then she frowned and pretended to be mad. "So what were you thinking pulling a stunt like that!? You could have been legendary chow!?"

I shrugged, feeling a little meek by this point. "There aren't any bad dragons, Dawn…"

She sighed and shook her head. "Yeah yeah sure, I'll keep that in mind next time my best friend is almost eaten by one…"

Next Ash stepped over and wrapped Cilan, me and Dawn in one massive group hug. Then pulling back a little he raised an eyebrow. "Is it all really over, you guys?"

That question made me frown. I guess it was… But...the effects of what had happened today were still going to be felt all over Unova for some time. Repairs needed to be made, and so many lives needed to be put back together. My home, the village of dragons, included. I knew most of the buildings were probably just salvageable. But it would still mean a lot of nights spent sleeping under the stars for the village.

Not that I minded that…

Drayden stepped forward next and looked at me so that he didn't need to voice what he was wondering. So I just nodded. "The scales are back, yeah… We just need to find Cole and seal the chamber again is all."

"Indeed," Drayden agreed. "However, I think you'd do with leaving it to the morning. You look like you could collapse if you just let yourself."

I sighed as I felt my weary legs tremble a little. "Don't give me any ideas…" I mumbled.

But like always, no sooner than the words had left my throat I felt Cilan's arm go around me. "I think a night's rest would certainly be best."

I just nodded, since something in his eyes told me he wasn't giving me any other option. Still the same worry wort. He'd have grey hairs for sure.

That night I ended up in my old dorm room. It seemed so surreal, but I was glad that I was way too tried to think about it then. So that night I slept in spite of everything weighing on my mind. But when the morning came and I opened my eyes again, well that was a different story. For a few minutes I just laid there, almost wondering if the last few weeks had just been a dream. As silly as it seemed, I almost thought I was still a student, and the last fourteen years or so had just been something I imagined.

I expected to still be that seven year old kid, missing home, and being stuck in a place where I didn't fit in. But when I rolled out of bed and walked over to the mirror that isn't what I saw. No, instead I was…

I reached out to touch the reflection I saw in the glass. I really was an adult now…

There still wasn't any power yet, but at least the sun was shining as bright as ever. I walked over to the window and let myself just stare at the tower for a while. Like a flashback that would forever be burned on my memory I thought about yesterday. About the rain, wind, and how afraid I was. But mostly...mostly I thought about how it had all changed when I felt his arms around me suddenly.

"Oh Cilan…" I whispered to myself as I leaned my forehead against the glass of the window.

Loving someone wasn't easy, especially when you knew you'd have to be separated from them, or at least for a while. But still...I knew what I had to do. I just wasn't sure how to tell him yet…

So that was all that was on my mind when I left with Fraxure to find everyone else. It wasn't a shock to see Cilan doing his best to make breakfast in spite of the circumstances, but I wasn't expecting to see Cole leaned against a window sill.

"Cole…?" I said simply as I stepped into the room.

He smiled slightly before he reached to gently lay a hand on Zoroark's shoulder. "I think Zoroark and I have unfinished business with you, Champion Iris."

"You mean the keys, right?"

He nodded as Zoroark transformed into the mirror image of his trainer. "I also feel a certain responsibility towards what happened."

I sighed. "We all do, but you didn't know what was going to happen. It was really Rigford that should feel the worst about it."

Cole stepped forward. "I don't imagine he will, but then… Stranger things have happened. In either case, he'll have plenty of time to consider it in prison. He couldn't really be charged with endangering Unova since the artifacts couldn't be considered stolen, but his kidnapping of you will get him time for sure."

"As it should." Cilan added in with a grimace that made me smirk at how much he worried over me.

"And," Cole said as he turned to look at Zoroark with softer eyes than usual. "It isn't that no good came from this whole mess… I suppose these events have had a way of showing up my stubborn ways…"

"Is that an apology, Master Cole?" Zoroark asked sincerely.

Cole smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Zoroark smiled back slightly. "Then I accept, and return the gesture."

Then he transformed back into himself, seeming satisfied to have said everything he thought he needed to.

"Well," Cilan began as he added the finishing touches to whatever he was making. "Breakfast is ready, please help yourself."

I wasn't sure how Ash always managed to appear right when the food did, but there he was again. Dawn was following him rolling her eyes when he rubbed his hands together.

"That smells awesome, Cilan!"

She sighed as she slipped into a seat next to me. "Some things never change…"

I smiled at her, then looked up at Ash and Cilan. Part of me _wished_ that was true. That things wouldn't change… But at the same time, I knew some things had to, that was just a part of growing up. And really I was glad that some things were different… But…

I let my eyes focus on Cilan, as I watched him serving up Ash's plate. He looked so happy, yeah just like he always did… It made me think about everything he must have done over the years that we were apart. And it made me think of everything to come. All the mornings in his restaurant when he'd be busy making breakfast, Chili would be lazing around, and Cress would be calmly folding napkins or setting tables.

The truth was...I would have given anything to be there each and everytime… And if I could have just one last wish, well...I hoped one day I would be. But for now…

For now, I still had a few steps on my path that I had to take alone.

Maybe that's all I could think when we finally left with Drayden and everyone else. We headed back to the scale chamber and met Elder there. I still remember the look on her face when she saw me. She was so proud…

So proud of me.

I almost couldn't breathe I felt so many things right then, but even so I did my duty and pressed in the key discs before stepping back and nodding between Cole and Drayden. They pushed the dusty door back in place before it clicked and the keys fell back at our feet. Bending down to pick them up Drayden rubbed the smooth metal between his fingers.

"What is to be done with them?" He asked simply. And maybe it was the same question we were all wondering.

"They should be laid to rest, Drayden." Elder said as she leaned into her staff. "Where they can never be disturbed again."

"How do we do that Elder?" I asked softly.

She seemed thoughtful for a second before she slowly slipped a pokeball from her sleeve and into her palm.

"Often something must be sacrificed in order to protect another… This is just the same."

I wasn't sure what she meant, but then she called out her druddigon, and gestured for Drayden to lay the keys down.

Turning to us, she got a serious, but calm, look on her face. "Would you both care to assist me?"

I still wasn't sure what she meant, but then Drayden called out his haxorus, and almost instinctively I did the same with Dragonite.

"They were born of a dragon's fire and spirit of will," she said gently. "So it is only fitting that they should be laid to rest by the same."

After we got far enough away she held out her hand to give the signal. I knew what she meant now, she thought they should be destroyed for the good of Univa. It wasn't like I disagreed, it was just…

Just that I'd never forget what had happened down there. All the things I'd said to Cilan, and the chance to feel his emotions as if they were my own… I… It was just everything seemed a little bit bittersweet right now.

So that's what I felt when I let the comand slip from my voice, somehow without trembling at all. "Dragonite, dragon rage."

Druddigon and haxorus attacked at the same moment so that all you could see was a flash of light as the ground shook. When the smoke cleared there wasn't any sign of the keys, no trace that they had even existed to begin with.

But I couldn't help but wonder, what would have happened if they really hadn't? Without everything that had happened, would Cilan and I have ever reached this point in the first place? I wasn't sure but…

Swallowing the tears I felt threatening to spill out, I did my best to keep a strong face. Yeah just like Elder or Drayden. Only...I wasn't really like either of them. So even though it made me feel like a little kid, I still wanted to cry right then. I really did…

That walk back to the village of dragons was probably the longest, hardest thing though. Even though Cilan was right there with me, he still felt so far away suddenly. Because I knew what was coming... I knew how hard it was going to be to say goodbye.

When we finally made it back to the village it wasn't easy to look at either. Things were so messed up, even though the water had went down. The truth was it would take some time to get things back to normal around here, and I knew they'd need my help.

"Oh Iris!" I heard Shannon say before I'd even noticed her. Wrapping her arms around me she buried her face in my shoulder.

I felt a little smile, yeah in spite of everything else, slipping onto my face.

"Shannon…" I whispered as I hugged her back. "I love you, I really do."

She chuckled a little as she pulled back to look at me. "I always knew you'd do amazing things, that your path was special. Now everyone else knows it too…"

Then she reached to clasp my hand in both of hers, it made my sleeve slip back just enough to show the scale bracelet she'd given me. For a second I stared at it. I stared at it and I thought about everything that had happened. And I wondered...just what was waiting now?

"I'm going to stay around a while and help you all fix up, okay?" I said softly.

"I'll be happy for your help but…" she frowned slightly. "What about Cilan, aren't you going back to the city with him?"

I shook my head slowly, not letting myself lose my brave face. "No, not now anyway. Cilan has a home to look after too, and his brothers are there. He'll want to go check on things for sure. I'd guess Striaton city is probably as messed up as here. He needs to be there the same as I need to be here, Shannon."

Maybe explaining that to someone else finally made it a little clearer in my head too. Like it made just a little more sense now…

She smiled at me, but I could see the shine in her eyes. Because she was my best friend, and she knew just how hard that was to say.

So lunging forward she hugged me again and whispered softly. "You aren't meant to be alone just to follow your path, Iris…"

I smiled as I let the tears I was holding back finally have their way. "I know...and I won't always be, I promise…" Then I pulled back and wiped my eyes on my sleeve

"Besides," I said trying to keep a cheerful face. "What Cilan and I have won't be any different with a little time spent apart. It's way too strong for that…"

A little while back I wouldn't have been too sure of that, but now I really was… I wasn't afraid of losing him to something or someone. Because I knew that wouldn't ever happen. So if there was any reason why I was hurting so badly, then it had to just be because… Just because I had to wait a little longer for that future I _wished_ for.

For the rest of the afternoon we all started working and doing what we could to start pulling things together. But I knew the later it got, that he'd have to leave soon. And I hadn't even told him yet…

But maybe our connection was so strong that I didn't really need to…? It was almost sunset when I finally found him sitting under a tree, just taking in the view. Or was he just waiting for me…?

Either way I mustered all the courage I could and slowly sat down beside him. Running my hand through the grass I picked at a blade until I figured I couldn't stall anymore. That's when he turned to me with a smile that almost seemed _too_ understanding, which was just going to make this harder.

"I heard you want to stay," then he smiled. "I agree that plan does seem best. You should take your time and put your home first, Iris."

I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chin. "Of course you do… You always have to be the selfless one no matter what…"

He laughed softly to himself. "It's a trait I learned from you, I'm afraid."

I frowned a little playfully at him. "It almost makes me think there might be something to just being selfish for a while instead."

"I'll miss you of course." He added in slowly, but still in his typical composed way.

Maybe even a little _too_ composed, because I didn't want to be composed at all. What I really wondered was what was going to happen to us now? What our future had in store, and when it would get here? All I was really worried about, was that I was going to miss him too...a lot.

"But there is a saying…" he whispered more softly as he turned back to me. The hues from the sunset were painting his face every different shade of orange and red.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

I just stared at him, maybe I was wondering if that was true. But mostly...mostly I just thought I didn't need to be any fonder of him. I just wanted to be with him. But he was taking everything so well that I didn't want to show him that inside I wasn't. I wanted him to think it was all okay. That I was okay.

So I reached out my hand for him to shake. "I guess this is goodbye for now then? I mean for the next month or two anyway?"

He frowned a little with a nod. "It would seem so, however…" then he smiled softly at me. "I have no intention of merely shaking your hand."

He reached to pull me closer to him as I buried my face in his shoulder. "You should have known better than that, Iris…" he whispered, as I let all the tears I'd been holding back spill out.

"Y-You better call me every day, or e-else!" I tried to sound threatening, but it was coming out more like a weepy little kid. Which I guess right now, I felt like.

"Of course." He simply whispered calmly.

"A-And no falling for any of your fangirls either!" I shouted back, even though my voice was shaking.

"That would be both untasteful, and impossible in the first place..." he said in a soft soothing voice.

And that's when I got quiet. When all I did was let myself cry in his arms without either of us saying anything. I knew it was just for a little while but still...right now it felt like forever. Like I'd never see him again. Like all those secret wishes we both shared were just dreams that would never come true.

He pulled away slowly and looked back at me. "If you have to say things like those though," his face softened even more. "Then it makes me believe you still haven't grasped the true depth of my feelings for you…"

He smiled. "But things like that can be addressed in time. Because...we have as much of it as you may need."

All I could seem to do was nod while tears streamed down my face like I was baby. Maybe I was, I sure felt like one right then. But I didn't really care, no...not at all… I thought I needed to say something else, but...I couldn't seem to get the words out. So maybe that's why I was glad when he spoke up next.

"So," he began softly as he reached out to gently touch the side of my face, where his fingertips mingled with all my tears.

"My darling, Iris…" he whispered as he slowly closed the distance between our lips.

"Best _wishes_ until we meet again."

 **Stick around for the last chapter coming soon!**


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue (Iris' POV)

"So then what happened?!"

I smiled at the wide eyed question, before I reached to ruffle his hair.

"Let me tell you…" I whispered as I leaned in closer to the group of hyper kids. They reminded me of myself so much. Mostly because them growing up in the village of dragons too meant we could really relate.

"Old Slick was closing in for sure, and all the doors were locked tight…"

"What did ya do?!" Another little kid asked as he bit his lip in anticipation of what was going to happen next.

"Well, all the doors were shut, but the air vent was just big enough to squeeze through. Only thing was, when we got to the outside vent it was rusted shut!"

The group gasped, and I almost laughed. I admit I was enjoying hamming it up a little.

"Did you dragon rage it open?" A little girl in the front asked.

I shook my head. "Fraxure was too big to fit in the vent, but Cilan thought fast. Pansage popped out of his pokeball and crawled past me. Then…" I balled my fist and jerked my arm out suddenly, if just for dramatic effect.

" _Bullet seed!"_

"Wow did it open then?!"

I noddded. "Yep, sure did, so we made our escape and old Slick didn't know what hit him!"

I figured it was best to leave out the part about how I basically fell face down into a mud puddle after I crawled out of that vent. Some details weren't really needed, right?

"Then what happened?!"

I smiled. "You'll have to wait to hear it later, your parents probably have lunch ready and waiting by now."

They all let out a collective moan, but I just wagged my finger scoldingly at them. "Don't give me that, you have to eat if you want to grow up to be strong dragon masters."

That seemed to get their attention at least, because they took off without any more complaints.

Just then I heard a little laugh behind me, so I turned to see Shannon holding her daughter. "You have such a way with the village children, Iris."

I smiled as I reached to offer little Iris my finger, so she could curl her hand around it. "They just love exciting stories. I know because I was like that too when I was little."

"I remember you used to tell the best ones too. Like that time you tried to convince Jake you'd fought a haxorus with your bare hands?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, a little embarrassed. "Well I _might_ have exaggerated that one a little bit…"

She laughed again before reaching for my hand and pulling me toward her house. "Come on, lunch is ready."

There was something really bittersweet about lunchtime. Of course I was almost always hungry, but… But it had a way of reminding me of him more than anything else.

Two whole months had went by since the scale incident and little by little things were getting back to normal. The village was mostly repaired, and the scars from what had happened were starting to fade for everybody I think. Mostly I was just glad no one had gotten hurt, or worse.

I slid into a chair, while Shannon went to serve the food. Jake playfully frowned at me from across the table. "At least try and save me something this time, huh?"

I stuck my tongue out at him, giving such a little kid just the response he deserved. All he did was pull down his eyes until he was making an even more ridiculous face.

Shannon sighed when she came back and sat down next to him. "What am I supposed to do with you two…?"

"He started it." I said with a playful frown as I pointed at him accusingly.

She just smiled before we all started to dig in.

If there was one thing I loved about meals with friends, it was how much it seemed to pull everyone together. And I thought about Cilan right then too. I figured this would be rush hour in his restaurant. I could picture him standing at the stove and humming as he worked. I would have been going crazy under all that pressure, but he seemed to love it. He'd flip whatever he was cooking in a frying pan, and it would crack and sizzle until he knew just by looking, that it was perfectly done.

" _Order up!"_ He'd say with cheerful excitement in his voice, as Chili or Cress came in to pick it up. Or he might take it out himself. He'd probably fix the garnishes until he thought it was some work of art, then he'd whisk it out under that favorite serving dome of his. But all the customers loved him, (the girls TOO much) because he really loved them. He loved everything about his restaurant and cooking to make other people happy…

"Iris?" Shannon said, and from the puzzled look on her face I thought it probably wasn't the first time she'd asked.

"Huh?" I asked snapping back to the here and now.

Shannon smiled. "I was asking if you wanted seconds?"

I shook my head. "Uh no that's okay." Then I smirked at Jake. "Something tells me I know who does want it though."

He rubbed his hands together, and reminded me of Ash. "Don't mind if I do!"

I just rolled my eyes as I got up and helped Shannon collect the plates and bring them to the sink.

I wasn't sure what it was about washing dishes that made me figure some interrogation was coming, maybe Dawn had just trained me too well. Or it could have been the look on Shannon's face, something that I seemed to sense she was thinking.

"Do you know when you're going back, Iris?" She asked suddenly, not that I hadn't been expecting it.

I frowned as I scrubbed at a plate. "Not really…" I finally said. "There's still a lot to do around here after all."

"Yes but…" she started to say slowly. "You miss him, I can tell all the time, Iris."

I sighed. "Well of course I do, but he still calls and we talk everyday."

"But that's not really the same, is it?"

It wasn't like I really had to think about that question for very long, I already knew the answer. Of course it wasn't the same, but…

Shannon smiled softly. "I think you've thought about us for long enough. Now it's time you thought about yourself too. A path isn't meant to be walked all alone. Besides, if you really don't want to be selfish than just think how much _he_ must need you."

I felt my shoulders slump if just from relief. I knew she was right, and it wasn't like I hadn't been thinking about it lately. Maybe it just felt nice to hear someone else say it, to make me feel like it wasn't just me being selfish.

I nodded slowly. "Thanks, Shannon. The thing is, it seems like no matter where I go, I'll always be missing somebody that isn't around."

She smiled. "Yes, that's a big part of growing up too. Having to be away from people you care about, but… Some people you just aren't meant to be separated from, not even for a little while, Iris. You should go and see him, it's been a long time already."

It was bittersweet because I'd still miss home no matter what… But at the same time, I felt some little jolt of happiness, or excitement at the fact that I'd just decided. Decided to do just that.

Smiling as wide as I could I reached for her hands and squeezed. "I think I will, Shannon!"

She laughed. "Great, give him our love too, Iris."

I nodded. "Sure, I promise!"

Maybe it was silly that I needed her to tell me that. That I didn't just decide for myself, but… I was still trying to stay so true to my path that I guess I was second guessing myself a lot too. The truth was, I didn't really know what was going to happen next if I did go back to see Cilan. I won't say I was afraid to find out, just a little nervous about how things might change again. But if I'd learned anything, it was that you couldn't be afraid to move forward. So that afternoon I packed up my backpack and headed toward Elder's house.

When I stepped in she was sitting at a table sipping a mug of tea. She turned to look at me and for a second she seemed curious, but then she just smiled. I figured she already got it…

"Should I wish you a safe journey, Iris?"

I took another step in and nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am."

She sighed softly as she sat her cup down. "You always were such a free spirit, yet… Yet you always had a heart obedient enough to think you needed my permission before you decided on anything. But I see you've already decided this for yourself, my dear?"

I got a determined look on my face. "Yes Elder, I have."

She smiled. "Good, I'm glad. Just please promise me you will come and visit now and then?"

"Um of course…" I mumbled. I thought it was a little strange how she said that, because from the look on her face it seemed like she thought I wasn't ever coming back to the village to stay.

I guess she picked up on the confused expression I had because she stood and slowly walked over to me. Reaching for one of my hands she patted the top of it gently.

"When one road suddenly splits into another, the path you always believed you would remain on can change in an instant. Certain places, people, or experiences can seem to make those changes for us. But it is still up to us to chose if we will fight against our new path, or embrace it."

"Fight against our path?" I mumbled out, thinking how ironic that would be, since staying here was me trying to follow my path.

She smiled gently. "I've gotten quite old, my dear, and even in my younger days I was never always certain of things. But if I were to say what I honestly thought, then I would tell you that your path is now a different one. A path that will take you away from here, this starting point. But just where it will lead is now up to you to discover. And as always the force of your will will be a determinator of just how far you will go."

"Elder…" I whispered as I seemed to get the full weight of what she was saying. "Thank you!" I shouted as I lunged forward to hug her.

I really wasn't sure where things would end up for me or for Cilan, but I thought she was right… I thought I never would come back to the village to stay for good. And that was probably the most bittersweet thing of all. But when I closed my eyes I could feel it… Feel that tug pulling me away, pulling me to wherever he was…

Maybe that was the true meaning of duality. About how someone else could change everything you were before, until together you both became something completely new. The sun was setting when I took one last look down at the valley, at my home.

"Ure?" Fraxure asked as he tugged at my sleeve.

I just smiled as I patted his head. "It'll always be our home, Fraxure. That won't ever change."

Then I reached for his little hand. "So let's go, we have a long trip ahead of us."

And we did, but I knew step by step we'd make it the whole way.

We headed up toward Opelucid City, and even though it was out of the way I knew we could catch a train there. Things had changed in Unova over the years, and one of the things Cilan had always rambled on about were the expansions in the subway system. Of course that never meant much to me until tonight. Until tonight when it was going to take me back to Striaton City, back to him.

It was probably the last train of the day, but I'd still managed to get a ticket just in time. So stepping inside I just took a seat by the window with Fraxure. There were only one or two passengers on this late, and even fewer at the loading platform. Maybe that was why he stuck out so obviously. Not that he wouldn't have always stuck out to me, no matter who else was around.

I turned toward the window and squinted in the dim light outside. The train was just starting to rumble to a start but I still pressed my hand against the glass.

"Drayden…?" I whispered, almost with a tremble as I saw him standing under one of the flickering lights on the platform.

His eyes were intense as always, but under all that I could tell he was smiling. Maybe that he was proud of me too. So I smiled back. Smiled back and waved goodbye as we started to disappear down the track. It was so good to see him one last time before I left. So I kept looking back even after any trace of him had disappeared. And it was a bittersweet lonely feeling… I was moving forward, and I was happy about that, but… But to do that I was leaving behind a lot too. When I finally turned back around I just pulled Fraxure closer to me.

My path was changing right under my feet…

It wouldn't be quite morning when we made it to Striaton City, but I would have managed to get at least a little sleep anyway. I spent the next few hours at a pokemon center, trying to make my face look like I hadn't just spent the night crumpled up on a subway bench. Needless to say the results were mixed, and in the end I knew love was definitely going to have to cover a multitude of things...

At about 7:30 I decided to head over. So I made that walk with Fraxure that I knew by heart already. And it reminded me so much of our adventure. Of our mystery. Of everything that had happened in the last three months or so. It didn't seem like a long time, but I knew it really was. Or at least it had been for us, because it had meant so much. It had been so important. So the more I thought the quicker I walked, until I was running the rest of the way.

When the gym came into view, I saw Chili sitting on the step yawning and dipping a donut into a cup of coffee.

"Chili!" I shouted, even excited to see him.

He jerked his head up and spilled half the coffee on his pants. "Oww that's hot!" He shouted jumping up and doing the most entertaining dance I'd seen in awhile.

Finally calming down he narrowed his eyes at me. "Are all your entrances like this…?"

I smirked. "No, but that one was worth it just to see that dance."

He rolled his eyes before jerking his thumb toward the door, pretending to be mad. "Oh just get in there already!"

"Don't mind if I do!" I said with an excited smirk as I pushed past him and into the restaurant."

"Oh Iris, what a pleasant surprise!" Cress beamed cheerfully as he looked up from setting a table and noticed me.

"Yeah, speak for yourself…" Chili grumbled as he stepped in behind me, still rubbing at his pants.

Even from here we all could hear the sudden gasp from the kitchen, and I guessed _someone_ had heard Cress say my name.

In nothing flat the door to the kitchen rocketed open and an over the top with giddiness (as usual) Cilan appeared in the dining room.

But then he stopped, almost like he was frozen, as he just stared at me. "Iris…?" he finally whispered.

I smiled and threw my arms out wide. "Sure is!"

A little more serious look suddenly appeared on his face as he took a step forward until he was close enough to pull me into his arms. He didn't say anything at first, he just held onto me tightly, which I might add, was perfectly okay with me. Or at least it would have been if I wouldn't have had Chili's infantile stickering behind me...

As usual Cilan didn't seem to even notice his brother's annoying ways, because he pulled back and looked at me sincerely. "Iris, I missed you so much..." His smile got a little softer. "Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but being reunited after so much lonely time apart makes it fonder still."

I blushed a little as I rubbed at the back of my head. "Aww come on Cilan, you're just too sweet."

He smiled back. "I'm afraid your presence has that effect on me."

Not surprisingly I heard Chili groan. "Ugh I've created a monster…" Then he shook his head. "No joke, Cress, a little more of this and I'm gonna hurl big time."

Cress laughed without losing the polite air about him. "Well I for one think love is beautiful."

"Oh that's it…" Chili mumbled as he put his hand over his mouth and headed for the kitchen. "Say hello to breakfast all over again…"

"What a little kid…" I smirked as I rolled my eyes.

Cilan laughed. "You'll have to excuse Chili, he was never one for overly sentimental things I'm afraid."

"Yeah no kidding…" I mumbled with a smirk. Which just made it even more ironic that he had been one of the main ones to push us together in the first place. I figured in his own _five year old_ way, that was him showing that he cared about us. Or something like it anyway...

It was amazing to see Cilan again, but the moment was at least a little lost by the overly dramatic fake "hurling" sounds Chili was making in the background. But then, what had I been expecting with this family...?

Yet...the truth was, annoying parts and all, I loved this family. So much so, that I'll let you in on that secret wish from before. I was just wishing, hoping maybe, that one day I'd get to be a part of it myself…

But for now I was more than happy with breakfast. Because no one could cook like Cilan did, and no one could make me smile like him either. And if you think that's too sappy than I'd say…

Stop being such a little kid already!

Because really, with Chili around, one is plenty enough.

"Here, why don't you help me finish making breakfast?" Cilan said with a wide smile as he gestured me toward the kitchen.

I nodded. "Sure thing," then I rubbed my stomach. "I am pretty starved actually."

"Well, I know just the thing!" Cilan said snapping his fingers together and seeming as happy as a little kid in a candy store. Maybe he was just that happy, I knew I was. So following him inside I ignored Chili's fake groaning and waited for Cilan to tell me what he wanted me to help out with.

"Would you mind cutting up these berries into smaller chunks?" He asked politely as he motioned toward a little basket of mixed berries. As usual I thought they looked really good just how they were, but if it was for Cilan, than yeah I could play along.

"Just leave it to me!" I said balling my fist in determination. Besides, Cilan always knew what he was doing in the kitchen, so something told me he was going to turn these berries into something even more amazing. Or at least that's what my rumbling stomach was hoping anyway. So I was extra careful to try and cut them neatly. And it turned out to look pretty good.

When I was finished I turned back to him with a smile. "All done, now what?"

"You just sit down and relax, things are almost ready." He said as he delicately poured some batter into a pan.

I appreciated the thought but I wasn't exactly the sitting down type, so I walked over and looked at what he was making.

"Pancakes?" I asked taking a guess.

He nodded without taking his eyes off of the bubbles forming in the batter. He didn't say anything though, so I knew he must have been concentrating. Then all of a sudden, in one smooth motion he moved the pan causing the pancake to flip over.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and I got the idea that he thought he'd just done that perfectly. I rolled my eyes playfully before I took a few steps back, to give him room to work. After a little while he stepped back too, and I figured he was finished because the stack of finished pancakes had gotten pretty big.

"Looks like we're all done! Now we just have to add the toppings." Cilan said sounding excited.

I nodded. "Right, so that's where the berries come in?"

"Precisely, and nothing goes better with berries than fresh whipped cream."

I smirked. "Well you have me there, it's like you know all of my favorites."

He laughed. "That would be because I do. I've always made it a point to know my friends taste well, because I want my cooking to be as enjoyable as possible." Then he shyly rubbed at his sleeve. "Though I may have made extra notes about _your_ special tastes, Iris…"

I felt the grin on my face soften a little bit. It was just amazing to be here now, it was like everything I'd ever imagined… Everything I'd been imagining the whole time we'd been apart.

Was Elder right...had my path already changed for good…?

"Guess I'll just help myself." Chili said with a smirk as he started piling pancakes onto a plate.

"Yes, please help yourself." Cilan added in, but I just frowned at him with narrowed eyes.

"I thought you were sick?"

He shrugged with a smirk. "My recovery was miraculous."

I just rolled my eyes again before I went to fix my own plate. Cilan insisted on doing the decorating though, and so that's how I ended up with " _I love you"_ written neatly in whipped cream on top of my pancake. I'm not gonna lie, that was almost too much even for me. Especially since it even managed to get a grin out of Cress, so I don't even need to say how Chili snickered until he almost choked to death on an oran berry.

Okay so yeah...Cilan was a little over the top as usual, but he just looked so genuinely happy that I couldn't tell him anything. So despite how red my face was from blushing, or how blue Chili's was from almost meeting his end through a blocked windpipe, breakfast went by without a hitch.

And once we were finished it was pretty much time for Cilan to get back to work preparing food for the lunch crowd that would be coming soon. I didn't want to get in the way, but I decided to stay awhile and watch how things went anyway. Because that was kind of nice, just watching him work, seeing what most of his days were like. Part of the time I spent in the kitchen, and the rest I just sat at a little table in the corner of the dining room. Chili, Cress, and of course Cilan were gliding around, waiting the tables like it was some kind of rehearsed dance.

Maybe I seemed a little weird to everybody else, just sitting there staring at them, but nobody could understand just what it meant to me. What they meant to me… Family was always a word that tasted a little bitter to me before, but I was starting to get just what it must really mean. So I was thinking a lot about that when I heard the chair across from me pull out. A teenaged girl a few years younger than me sat down, and I snapped back to the present.

"Uh hi there…?" I mumbled a little confused why she was staring at me without saying anything.

But then it all hit me, yeah that whole champion bit.

"You're Iris the champion, right? Yeah I know you are." She said answering her own question, but I decided to nod anyway.

"Yeah, that's me...though," I said rubbing at the back of my neck. "I really just prefer it when people call me Iris."

"Oh that's cool with me, Iris." She said with an excited smile as she reached her hand out across the table for me to shake. "I'm Viola, star reporter!"

I blinked still feeling confused. "O-Okay…"

Then she sighed. "Well, okay, I'm still an intern, but if I get a few big scoops my boss says I'll be a shoo-in for the real job."

"Oh I get it," I said as all the pieces fit together. "You want an interview with me or something, right?"

"Could I really?! It would mean so much to my future career!" She said whipping a note pad and pen out of what seemed like thin air.

I grinned a little awkwardly. It wasn't like I enjoyed this kind of thing, but it did seem to mean a lot to her. So I sighed and gave in.

"Okay sure, what do you want to know? Something about my battle strategies or training schedule?"

She just laughed and waved her hand like what I'd said was really silly. "No, of course not! That's boring stuff everybody else already reports on."

"Boring…?" I mumbled raising an eyebrow, not liking where this was going. "Then what did you have in mind?"

Somehow I thought I already knew, and as soon as she smirked a little I figured I was right. "Well," she said, lowering her voice. "You are in the Striaton gym. And you aren't even eating anything..." She said pointing toward the lone glass of water sitting in front of me.

I frowned. "Well yeah but…"

"Lot's of people have been talking about the rumors, but no one has any real evidence."

"Evidence of what exactly?" I asked figuring it was worth playing dumb just in case she was talking about something other than what I was thinking of.

She bit her lip. "I understand it's a sensitive subject but-"

 _But_ right on time Cilan glided over to our table with a clueless smile on his face. "Iris, dear, can I get you anything? It's after lunch so I thought-"

For the first time that day I wanted to reach out and slap him even if he was being so nice. Since when had he started with the terms of endearment? Or more importantly when did he choose to start them in front of a nosy reporter?

Viola's eyes got about as wide as Ash's at an all you eat buffet. "That's okay Cilan, really…" I mumbled out trying not to sound as annoyed as I felt.

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile as he noticed Viola. "I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation."

I wanted to say someone needed to, but instead I just swallowed my grimace as he politely bowed and went back to waiting the other tables.

"So you are married!" She 'shout whispered' in one rushed breath.

I cringed and fought the urge to slip under the table. "We're _not_ married!"

Viola leaned back in her chair and got a disappointed look on her face. "But those pictures of you two going into the justice of the peace...they were the centerpiece of my big scoop…?"

I crossed my arms. "You were spying on us?"

"So you admit you were there?" She said as she quickly wrote down something.

I felt a vein throb in my forehead but I tried to let it go with a sigh. "Look, I understand it's your job and all, but don't you think asking about stuff like that is pretty personal?"

She scratched at the side of her face with a guilty look. "Yeah probably, but… Well it's a tough industry to break into, and with me still being a kid it's even harder to get anyone to take you seriously. I just thought maybe if I went for a story everyone is already interested in, then..."

I frowned. Why was _I_ the one feeling guilty now?

I sighed again. "Yes we were there, but not for the reason you think. I'm sorry if it ruins your story, but we're definitely not…" I swallowed hard as I stared at the ice cubes floating in my glass of water. "Married." I finally managed to choke out.

"That's okay," she said understandingly, and it made me wonder why _I_ was the one apologizing anyway. "Just having it confirmed that you're dating would be a big scoop." She slid the pen behind her ear and adjusted her red framed glasses.

"You must at least be dating though, right?"

I frowned before I felt my shoulders slump. "If it'll make your career or whatever, then...yeah fine we are. But why does anybody even care…?"

She snatched the pen from her ear and started to write like crazy. "An official statement! Thank you so much, Iris!"

I frowned wider. "Uh, you're welcome I guess…"

"And why _wouldn't_ everyone care, you're the champion, and he's a top gym leader?! Besides, people love reading about people in love, it's just something in human nature. But when you're famous to boot, then it makes for the _perfect_ story!"

"Uh if you say so…" I mumbled not really convinced that I wouldn't regret this. In fact, I was pretty sure I already did. But it was too late to change things now, because she bolted up out of her chair and, after tossing me a little wave, headed for the door.

"Well, something tells me that's going to come back to bite me later…" I mumbled as I leaned into my hand.

"Ure..?" Fraxure mumbled seeming confused.

I reached down to pat his head. "Don't worry boy, at least it's not dangerous trouble this time…" I sighed before whispering to myself. "Just the embarrassing kind…" Which right now, seemed almost worse...

Later when Cilan asked what it was all about, I brushed it off without getting into any of the details. The last thing I wanted to do was start talking about people thinking we were married, weren't things awkward enough just with Chili around?

Anyway, before I knew it, the whole day had almost gone by. I knew Cilan's restaurant was usually open pretty late into the evening, but this time he closed earlier. So I knew he must have had something special planned. It being Cilan, I was half expecting something really over the top like ballroom dancing in overly fancy clothes. But I guess it wasn't just my taste in food that he knew pretty well, because I was so relieved when he just suggested that we go out for ice cream instead.

So in the end, Cress was the only one to eat an ice cream cone with a spoon, and Chili had almost one scoop for every flavor available. Cilan got a mint chocolate chip, and I of course got something berry flavored. All in all I thought it was a pretty perfect way to end the day. But when Cilan recommend we take a detour through Striaton park, well I figured it might just get even more perfect.

Not that I ever really considered myself somebody who liked all those typical romantic things. But, that was before so much had happened. Before everything had changed. And so even though I was still me, I also thought I was really different in some ways…

"The stars are certainly beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Cilan asked as he looked over at me with a smile. I looked out at Chili trying (and failing) to skip rocks over the pond in the distance, while Cress laughed calmly to himself. Then I looked up at the sky, at those stars Cilan was talking about. They were still so dim compared to back home in the village of dragons, but…

"Yeah, they sure are…" I answered back with a determined nod. The truth was, no matter how different things were in the city, I still felt at home here. If for no other reason than because he was here. Because being here made me feel like I was doing what I needed to, like I was where I most needed to be. Like I really was meant to be with him…

But I didn't know how to say any of that, and maybe I wasn't sure if I was supposed to anyway. Maybe not yet. Because everything that Elder had implied, it made me wonder just what the future did hold, and most of all what was I supposed to be doing now? I'd followed my path back to him, but I wasn't sure what was going to happen now…

"Iris," he spoke up softly, and pulled me from everything I was thinking. "Do you remember when we first started traveling together with Ash?"

"Of course, what about it?" I answered simply.

He smiled softly as he turned back to the _mostly_ starry sky above us. "I suppose I'm just thinking about what a great team we made even at the outset."

I grinned a little. "Yeah, we are a real duo, huh?"

"And," he went on. "If I were to think about that ever not being the case, I get quite the bitter taste in my mouth."

Looking at him I expected him to say something else, almost like something on his face seemed unsaid. But the longer I waited the more the silence just grew, so I decided to speak up instead.

"Well, it's not like I'm going somewhere, Cilan. So," I smiled a little as I looked at the grass below our feet. "So the next time someone decides to almost run over one of us, we know who will be on the case."

He laughed a little before turning to face me again. "I'd like it most of all if our next case isn't so dangerous, but whatever the case…" he trailed off and got kind of quiet. "Whatever the challenge, I'll be happiest to face it with you at my side."

"You know," I said softly as I reached to intertwine his fingers in my own. "Words are funny, we keep trying to say the same thing in different ways." And that much seemed true, or at least I thought it was.

Cilan smiled and I felt his hand tighten around my own. "It may be that being in love is just about saying the same things in different ways… But most of all, Iris, I'd like to think it's about saying different things in the same way." I kept quiet as I watched him go on.

"Like a dish that gains new and deeper flavors as it simmers and marinates, I think a simple statement like ' _I love you'_ can take on even richer meaning with time. Because of that, cooking can call for patience. Like so many things in life, timing is often crucial."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant until his face soften almost into a hurt look. "That's what I kept reminding myself all the time you were away. Patience and timing. But the thing is…"

He smiled down at me and almost looked a little playfully embarrassed. "Like you would always point out, cooking and love are in fact very different things. It was much easier to wait for the ideal time to remove a dish from the oven, than to wait for you…"

I grinned a little bit. "Glad to hear it wasn't just me being clingy… Because I was a little worried about that, to be honest."

Cilan shook his head. "Far from it, I missed you more than words can say."

"So…" I mumbled ignoring the heat I felt on my face, yeah still, even after all this time. "So what do we do now? Where are we supposed to go from here?"

His face fell into a look that I couldn't quite figure out, before he spoke up again. "I've also given that a great deal of thought, but I've decided to wait a little longer before I share it with you."

"Share what with me?" I asked frowning.

He smiled a little apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet, it might spoil the recipe if I did."

I sighed and pretended to be upset. "What a way to leave me in suspense…"

He gently let go of my hand and took a few steps forward. "I wouldn't worry." He said simply as he knelt down to inspect something on the ground.

"Guess I don't have much choice…" I grumbled as I followed him over to whatever he was looking at.

Then I realized what it was a flower. I was half expecting it to somehow be the first clue of a new crazy mystery the way he was looking at it, but then… Then he just picked it slowly and stood to face me again.

"They may seem to be the same words, but…" he gently slipped the stem of the flower in between a few locks of my hair. "But, I hope that when I say I love you, it won't ever just be common place…"

For a second I just stood there, until I stepped forward just enough to hug him, to hold him close enough that it made the distance from the last few months fade away.

"Hey, Cilan," I whispered. "So you know...I have a secret wish too. And I'm not telling you about it yet either…"

"Then I imagine for now, we're even." He said simply, with a smile in his voice.

I pulled back just enough to reach up and touch the side of his face. I wasn't sure why I did it, maybe just to make sure that he was really there… That my best friend really did love me back.

The truth was, for everything I'd wished since this whole thing got started. Well…

Right now, I just wanted to be with him forever.

And I figured, that was both the simplest, and greatest _wish_ of all…

FIN

 **Thanks for reading all the way to the end, and for the wonderful reviews! This story means a lot to me, and your support is much appreciated. Stick around for a sequel in the weeks ahead. (Or possibly sooner, if I get off of it and start writing... lol) Anyway, until then, stay awesome!**


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